Comet Siding Spring View From Mars

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.

Comet siding spring view from mars.

Mars and comet siding spring were visible to the stereo a spacecraft during the 2014 encounter. This composite hubble space telescope image captures the positions of comet siding spring and mars in a never before seen close passage of a comet by the red planet which happened at 2 28 p m. 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. The dense inner coma reached the surface of the planet or nearly so.

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 seen next to mars. The faint comet shows a small condensed coma and bent tail. Nasa s mars exploration rover opportunity captured images of a comet passing much closer to mars than any previous known comet flyby of earth or mars.

The comet siding spring has made its close flyby of mars on oct. The close encounter between comet siding spring and mars flooded the planet with an invisible tide of charged particles from the comet s coma. Comet siding spring flew about 87 000. 19 allowing scientists an unprecedented look at the comet as it flies by the red planet.

On that date the comet passed by mars at approximately 87 000 miles about one third the distance between earth and the moon. Edt october 19 2014. The images of comet siding spring were taken against a backdrop of the pre dawn martian sky on sunday oct.