433 Eros

Asteroid 433 Eros is a significant celestial object that crosses Earth's orbit and is part of the Near-Earth Object (NEO) population. Discovered on August 13, 1898, by the German astronomer Gustav Witt, Eros is one of the largest known NEOs, measuring approximately 34.4 kilometers (21.4 miles) in length. Eros orbits the Sun in an elongated path, with its closest point (perihelion) reaching about 169 million kilometers (105 million miles) from the Sun, and at its farthest (aphelion), it extends to about 223 million kilometers (139 million miles) from the Sun. This asteroid became the first-ever near-Earth asteroid to be orbited and extensively studied by a spacecraft when NASA's NEAR Shoemaker spacecraft entered orbit around Eros in February 2000. The spacecraft conducted extensive surveys, provided detailed images, and collected valuable scientific data on the asteroid's surface, composition, and geology. The mission concluded with a controlled landing on the asteroid's surface in February 2001, marking a milestone in asteroid exploration and significantly contributing to our understanding of these celestial bodies.