Comet Siding Spring Mars Encounter

19 at a distance of approximately 87 000 miles.

Comet siding spring mars encounter.

Mars and comet siding spring were visible to the stereo a spacecraft during the 2014 encounter. Comet siding spring also known as c 2013 a1 will be approximately 82 000 miles away from mars at its closest approach. One thing we know for certain is that the. Watch over the coming nights as they draw ever closer.

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

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. 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. And by close i mean close.

Fritz helmut hemmerich made this video from 1200 meters at tenerife in the canary islands showing comet siding spring immediately after its mars encounter. 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.