An Unexpected Asteroid Valentine
Explanation:
Maybe the
Moon owns our
hearts, but this won't stop
the occasional
asteroid from sending us a
valentine.
Friday, to the surprise of many, the
NEAR mission on approach to asteroid
433 EROS photographed
what appears to be a
heart-shaped depression.
After NEAR reaches the asteroid today, NASA plans a
series of maneuvers to make the
robot spacecraft the first ever to orbit an asteroid.
More detailed
pictures
will soon be taken
of the 33 kilometer long
asteroid EROS and this 5 kilometer long depression.
Most likely, fortuitous lighting and viewing angles
accentuate the
apparent heart shape -- but don't tell the
Moon.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
