THE surface of the near-Earth asteroid Eros is unlike anything seen on the
Moon or other asteroids, data from NASA’s NEAR Shoemaker probe suggests.
Eros’s surface is covered by 40 to 50 metres of rock and dust left over from
collisions with other bodies, says Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology. Surprisingly, some of this rubble has slid downhill, apparently when
impacts shook the oblong asteroid.
As Zuber was describing her results last week, NEAR made its closest fly-by
to Eros so far, coming within 5 kilometres of the asteroid’s surface and sending
back the best pictures yet.…
