Nasa s extensive fleet of science assets particularly those orbiting and roving mars have front row seats to image and study this once in a lifetime flyby.
Comet siding spring 2015.
Comet siding spring has crossed the snow and water lines key points when it is close enough for the sun s warmth to activate it.
A comet s coma is the atmosphere of gas and dust around the nucleus of the comet.
Now that scientists can see the coma they estimate it is roughly 12 000 miles 19 000 kilometers across.
19 comet c 2013 a1 comet siding spring will pass within about 87 000 miles 139 500 km of mars.
C 2013 a1 siding spring is an oort cloud comet discovered on 3 january 2013 by robert h.
Comet c 2013 a1 siding spring will make a very close flyby of mars on oct.
Mcnaught at siding spring observatory using the 0 5 meter 20 in uppsala southern schmidt telescope.
Comet siding spring nasa.
When classified as a minor planet it had the fourth largest aphelion of any known minor planet in the solar system after 2005 vx 3 2012 dr 30 and 2013 bl 76.
Comet c 2013 a1 siding spring.
It additionally had the most eccentric orbit of any known minor planet with its distance from the sun varying by about 99 9 during the course of its orbit followed by.
Panstarrs c 2015 er61 panstarrs is a comet inner oort cloud object amor near earth asteroid and possibly a damocloid.
This animation and still image of comet c 2013 a1 siding spring were taken by the mast camera mastcam on nasa s curiosity mars rover as the comet passed near the red planet on oct.
C 2015 er 61 panstarrs c 2015 er.
It made history last october when it approached planet mars within a very short record distance under our eyes.
2015 you should remember this comet c 2013 a1 siding spring.
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.