Eros from above (1)

In NEAR Shoemaker's long-awaited close-up images of Eros, the asteroid's small-scale features are revealing their fascinating diversity. This picture, taken July 8, 2000, from an orbital altitude of only 36 Km, shows a variety of differently shaped boulders. Some are nearly round, whereas others are elongated or even blade-shaped. Such varied shapes might arise from differences in the strength and fracturing of preexisting rock. The whole scene is about 1.4 Km across.