Minerva hopper and Hayabusa's shadow at Itokawa

Filed under pretty pictures, spacecraft, pics of spacecraft in space, asteroids, asteroid 25143 Itokawa, Hayabusa (MUSES-C)

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Minerva hopper and Hayabusa's shadow at Itokawa

A photo of the asteroid Itokawa from the Hayabusa spacecraft on November 12, 2005 shows the Minerva lander (dot inside the yellow circle, and detail inside the yellow square) near the asteroid. Minerva was released and activated successfully but failed to land on Itokawa. The dark bow-tie shape on Itokawa is the shadow of Hayabusa.

ISAS / JAXA

Original image data dated on or about November 12, 2005