This simple cylindrical projection of an image mosaic of Eros is labeled with proposed names for most of the larger features on the asteroid. Because the images in the mosaic cover an irregularly-shaped object viewed under greatly varying lighting and viewing geometries, it is not possible to match boundaries of images perfectly. The names shown here permit those studying the asteroid to have a consistent "geography" for reference. The theme of the names is famous lovers from history and fiction, taken from different cultures. The name of the largest feature, Himeros, comes from Greek mythology for personification of the longing of love and an attendant of Eros.
Built and managed by The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, NEAR was the first spacecraft launched in NASA's Discovery Program of low-cost, small-scale planetary missions. See the NEAR web page at http://near.jhuapl.edu/ for more details.