... Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. 2001 August 24 . NEAR at Eros: Before Touchdown . Credit: NEAR Project , JHUAPL , NASA . Image Montage by Patrick Vantuyne . Explanation: On 12 February, 2001, the NEAR-Shoemaker spacecraft gently touched-down on the the surface of Eros -- the first ever landing on an asteroid . ... About APOD | ... NASA Technical Rep.: ...