Eros Flyover Movie Index


Eros from above its north pole.
March 2000, - the
asteroid's northern summer.
Click the image to see illumination details for February-March

Eros from above its north pole.
July 2000, - the
asteroid's autumn equinox.
Five months after the arrival of NEAR Shoemaker, in July, the asteriod will have moved a quarter of the way round its 20 month orbit. It will then be in its autumm equinox position. Its axis will be at right angles to the Sun. The terminator* will pass through the poles.

NEAR Shoemaker will by then be orbiting over the asteroid's poles. In the flyover movies taken then, other features will become visible.


* Note: the terminator is the line of shadow that moves across a world's surface as different regions pass into and out of sunlight due to rotation.