The NEAR spacecraft is less than 2,900 miles (4,700 kilometers) from Eros and is slowly closing in for its February 14th encounter with the asteroid named for the Greek god of love.

The spacecraft is alive with preparations for its rendezvous. Its multispectral imager has been taking daily ../../../images for the past few weeks to confirm that the spacecraft is on track, to look for any moons orbiting the asteroid, and to measure brightness variations to help map its rotation.

The NEAR (Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous) mission, the first mission to orbit an asteroid, will study the potato-shaped rock for one year, using an array of instruments to learn about its chemical and physical features and evolutionary history. The asteroid is known to be 21 by 8 by 8 miles (33 by 13 by 13 kilometers) - about twice the size of Manhattan Island.

For more information about the encounter and media opportunities, click here.

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