Astronomy Picture of the Day · August 24, 2001

NEAR at Eros: Before Touchdown

The Astronomy Picture of the Day for August 24, 2001 is “NEAR at Eros: Before Touchdown,” an image. It is credited to Credit: NEAR Project , JHUAPL , NASA Image Montage by Patrick Vantuyne. The original explanation runs about 133 words.

From the explanation

“On 12 February, 2001, the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft gently touched-down on the the surface of Eros — the first ever landing on an asteroid .”

— APOD editors, August 24, 2001

Read the full explanation on science.nasa.gov

At a glance

Date: August 24, 2001
Type: Image
Credit: Credit: NEAR Project , JHUAPL , NASA Image Montage by Patrick Vantuyne
Copyright: No copyright notice on the entry. Check the credited institution’s own usage rules before reusing it.
Explanation length: About 133 words

All of August 2001 → · 2001 by month → · Full archive since 1995 →

Topics in this entry

Asteroids

Topics are matched from words in the title and explanation.

On this day: August 24 in other years

On Amazon

Popular picks for space fans

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Electronics Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition 32GB Read astronomy and space-history books anywhere. View on Amazon → Electronics Bose QuietComfort Wireless Headphones Noise-cancelling headphones for documentaries and launch livestreams. View on Amazon →

Source

Astronomy Picture of the Day, August 24, 2001 — science.nasa.gov/image-article/apod-2001-august-24-near-at-eros-before-touchdown

Copy taken Oct 28, 2026, 2:39 AM EDT. The image and explanation belong to their creators. OpenOrbit is not affiliated with or endorsed by NASA.