Impact craters are the most common, pervasive, and scientifically informative landforms on Eros. This image from NEAR Shoemaker, taken March 20, from a range of 128 miles, shows a highly cratered region of the asteroid. The whole scene is 4.6 miles across. Craters are formed by the explosive impacts of asteroid fragments that have rained onto the surface over the eons. A freshly exposed surface will have fewer craters than a surface exposed to space for a longer time. The great number of impact craters in the pictured region indicates that it has been an extremely long time since this region was wiped clean, or "resurfaced," by a geologic process such as the chipping off of part of the asteroid. Also, the greater abundance of smaller craters reveals that small asteroid fragments have impacted Eros more frequently than large asteroid fragments. Photo: JHU/APL

The NEAR mission moved smoothly to its next stage after a 5-second engine burn on April 11 nudged NEAR Shoemaker into a circular orbit about 62 miles (100 kilometers) from asteroid Eros. At the time of the engine burn, the spacecraft was about 128 million miles (206 million kilometers) from Earth.

Getting its best look at Eros so far, the spacecraft will remain at this orbital distance for 11 days, moving around the asteroid three times at just under 5 miles per hour. Another maneuver on April 22 will start lowering the spacecraft into its prime scientific orbit, which starts April 30, when the spacecraft is 31 miles (50 kilometers) from Eros' center.

NEAR Shoemaker has circled Eros five times since meeting up with the asteroid on Feb. 14, providing data on the space rock's surface, shape and composition that has exceeded scientists' early expectations.

Built and managed by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, NEAR-Shoemaker was the first spacecraft launched in NASA's Discovery Program of low-cost, small-scale planetary missions.