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Eros

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ASTEROID

Eros

The first asteroid orbited and landed on by a spacecraft.

Orbits Sun
  • First asteroid visited by a dedicated orbiter (NEAR Shoemaker, 2000-2001).
  • First asteroid softly landed on (NEAR Shoemaker touchdown, 12 February 2001).
  • Near-Earth Amor-class object.

Physical Properties

8 km
6.687e15 kg
2.67 g/cm³
5.27 h
0.25

Orbit

Sun
1.458 AU
0.2229
10.83°
1.76 yr

Sources & Further Reading

Numerical values (radius, mass, orbital elements, temperatures) are drawn from NASA NSSDC Planetary Fact Sheets, JPL Horizons, and the JPL Small-Body Database. Last refreshed: 2026-04-18 18:19:26.

Eros is a 34 × 11 × 11 km Near-Earth asteroid (Amor class) that crosses the orbit of Mars. It holds the distinction of being the first asteroid ever orbited by a spacecraft (NASA’s NEAR Shoemaker, February 2000 – February 2001), and the first ever to have a spacecraft land on its surface when NEAR Shoemaker touched down at the end of its mission on 12 February 2001.