Comet Siding Spring Mars Encounter

Siding spring officially designated comet c 2013 a1 made its closest approach to mars at 2 28 p m.

Comet siding spring mars encounter.

Comet siding spring also known as c 2013 a1 will be approximately 82 000 miles away from mars at its closest approach. Artist s concept of comet c 2013 a1 siding spring heading toward mars. This sunday october 19 mars will have a close encounter with comet siding spring. While comet siding spring also called comet c 2013 a1 isn t easy to spot from earth a couple different astronomy organizations will be tracking the comet as it flies 87 000 miles 139 500.

The paths of mars and comet siding spring are clearly on a near collision course. Nasa s hubble space telescope has produced a unique composite image of comet siding spring as it made its never before seen close passage of a comet by mars. A once in a million years cosmic event will grace the heavens this weekend when a comet is expected to have a close encounter with mars. One thing we know for certain is that the.

Follow comet siding spring at marscomet on october 19 comet siding spring will pass within 88 000 miles of mars just one third of the distance from the e. In orbit around mars were the spacecraft mars reconnaissance orbiter 2001 mars odyssey esa s mars express maven and the indian mars orbiter mission mangalyaan. Just weeks before the historic encounter of comet c 2013 a1 siding spring with mars in october 2014 nasa s mars atmosphere and volatile evolution maven spacecraft entered orbit around the red planet. 19 at a distance of approximately 87 000 miles.

Watch over the coming nights as they draw ever closer. Mars and comet siding spring were visible to the stereo a spacecraft during the 2014 encounter.