Asteroids

Space Rock . Eros

Eros is an asteroid but can be called a minor planet. It orbits the sun that sometimes causes it to closely pass as 14,000,000 miles next to Earth. Scientists believe that Eros comes this close to Earth every 31 years. The last time Eros came close to Earth was back in 1975. Therefore, the next time it will approach Earth will be in 2006. The pathway the asteroid takes can be changed by gravitational pull of other planets. This can change and interfere because of the gravitational pull and how it will approach Earth within the next 15 years.
Eros has been described as having a football or potato shape. The radius is 4.3 miles, the length about 21 miles, and about 8 miles wide. Its orbit around the sun lasts about 642 days coming as close as 106,000,000 miles and going as far as 165,000,000 miles away from the sun.
Scientists have used Eros as a guide to help determine the Earths average distance to the sun. This was done when Eros was. ...