NASA/Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

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The NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) mission sought to answer fundamental questions about the nature and origin of the many asteroids and comets close to Earth's orbit. These near Earth objects may contain clues about the formation of Earth, other planets in the Solar System, and may even reveal information about the formation of the Universe. Eros's pristine surface offers a look at the conditions in the Solar System when the Earth formed more than 4.5 billion years ago.

The Rotation Sequence

This animation was compiled on February 12, 2000 from 780 images acquired by the MSI (Multi-Spectral Imager) camera on board the NEAR spacecraft. The images were taken every 26 seconds to create this sequence which covers over one rotation. By examining the changing shadows as Eros rotates, scientists can interpret the origin of the features on its surface.

Ellen Cohen