Mathilde - NEAR

Approach image of Mathilde

Mathilde
This image shows the first image mosaic taken of the main belt asteroid 253 Mathilde as the NEAR spacecraft approached on 27 June 1997. Most of the asteroid is shadowed because the Sun was behind and to the right of the asteroid as NEAR approached. The visible part of Mathilde in this image is 29 km high. Mathilde itself is approximately 50 x 53 x 57 km. This image was called the "pterodactyl" because of its similarity in appearance to the winged dinosaur. (NEAR Mathilde 19970627_app)
Larger image: 10K

Location & Time Information
Date/Time (UT): 1997-06-27 T 13:00
Distance/Range (km): N/A
Central Latitude/Longitude (deg): N/A
Orbit(s): flyby

Imaging Information
Area or Feature Type: global view
Instrument: Multispectral Imager
Instrument Resolution (pixels): 244 x 537
Instrument Field of View (deg): 2.25 x 2.9
Filter: N/A
Illumination Incidence Angle (deg): N/A
Phase Angle (deg): 136.
Instrument Look Direction: N/A
Surface Emission Angle (deg): N/A

Ordering Information
CD-ROM Volume: N/A
NASA Image ID number: NEAR_19970627_app
Other Image ID number: N/A
NSSDC Data Set ID (Photo): XD-12A
NSSDC Data Set ID (CD): N/A
Other ID: N/A

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[NASA Logo] Authors/Curators:

Dave Williams, dave.williams@nasa.gov, (301) 286-1258
Code 690.1, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA

Jay Friedlander, jay.s.friedlander@nasa.gov, (301) 286-7172
Code 612.4, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, MD 20771, USA

NASA Official: Dr. David R. Williams, David.R.Williams@nasa.gov
Last updated: 24 September 2015