NASA last week moved its NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft into a circular orbit
round the asteroid Eros, just 35 kilometres from its centre. That’s 30 per cent
closer than its previous 50-kilometre orbit, and will give the sharpest photos
of the surface yet, highlighting differences between boulders which suggest they
might have different compositions. The new orbit will also let scientists map
its gravity to see if its density is uniform—crucial if the probe is to
come still closer without crashing.
To continue reading, today with our introductory offers
Advertisement
More from ¿ìè¶ÌÊÓƵ
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending ¿ìè¶ÌÊÓƵ articles
1
Does gravity create reality? A shocking path to a theory of everything
2
The best new science-fiction books of June 2026
3
Pancreatic cancer halted by virus injection in three patients
4
How a radical new view of life could reveal its origin – and aliens
5
Photons behave very strangely if you try to cut them
6
3D-printed lymph nodes could widen access to CAR T-cell therapy
7
Glaciers in the 'roof of the world' have suddenly started melting
8
Embryos made without sperm or eggs reveal why many pregnancies fail
9
Mathematical AI helps researchers crack 50-year-old problem
10
Wealthy people with environmental ideals are the biggest emitters
