 Eros from above its north pole. March 2000, - the asteroid's northern summer. |
During February and March, in the first weeks after NEAR Shoemaker's arrival at Eros,
the asteroid was experiencing its northern. Its north pole was pointed towards
the Sun and its northern hemisphere was bathed in constant light. The southern
hemisphere was in darkness. The terminator* passed around the asteroid's equator.
The spacecraft orbited around the equator in the opposite direction to the asteroid's rotation. * 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. |
|
 Eros from above its north pole. July 2000, - the asteroid's autumn equinox. |
Click the image to see illumination details for July-August |