Asteroid Annefrank

NASA 's interplanetary probe STARDUST , on its way to Comet Wild 2 in January 2004, passed asteroid 5535 Annefrank earlier this month. Annefrank , named for a holocaust victim who kept a famous diary , is a member of the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter . Just prior to closest approach at about 3300 km distant, the robot spacecraft took the above picture . Although images obtained were not detailed enough to resolve much of the asteroid's surface, the size, reflectivity, and general shape of the asteroid were recorded . At 6 kilometers across, asteroid Annefrank turned out to be larger -- and darker -- than expected. Deadline Approaching: Send your name to Mars!