NASA Goddard Space Flight Center on line News Releases
navigate this section follow links below

Images & Movies

Thumbnails of all images

Press Release

related site links follow hyperlinks below

NEAR Spacecraft


A VIRTUAL EROS -- TAKE A 3-D SPIN AROUND 433 EROS

Please SCROLL DOWN to view the images.

Scientists are releasing new highly detailed 3-D views of the near-Earth asteroid 433 Eros. The images were not captured by a camera, but are the product of over 8 million observations from the NEAR Laser Rangefinder (NLR). Scientists use the data from the NLR to build detailed models of Eros's shape. NEAR team members use this information to help them understand the asteroid's evolution and internal structure. The model can then be used to generate a virtual tour of the asteroid 433 Eros.

Thumbnails - True Color



   

These images show eight views of the asteroid from the side (images from top left to the third row, center) and the last three images are of the asteroid's "gravity slope", top, and bottom, respectively.

Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/NLR

Back to top

Thumbnails - False Color


 

These images show the asteroid's bottom (left, top) and eight views of the asteroid's side (images from center, top through third row, right) to the last two images showing the "gravity slope" and the top of the asteroid.

Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/NLR

Back to top

Last Updated 01/31/01
[ back to top | email us | GSFC Home ]