... Two weeks ago during the launch of Atlantis, the Sun, Earth, Moon, and rocket were all properly aligned for this photogenic coincidence. ... As the Moon orbits the Earth, the half illuminated by the Sun first becomes increasingly visible, then decreasingly visible. ... NEAR Spacecraft Survives Landing on Asteroid Eros . ... Orbiting asteroid 433 Eros, 145 million miles from Earth, NASA's NEAR spacecraft has been returning stunning views as its year long mission of exploration nears completion. ...