Comet Siding Spring Pictures From Mars

Comet siding spring s dust tail will completely engulf the entire planet when mars travels through it.

Comet siding spring pictures from mars.

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 images of comet siding spring were taken against a backdrop of the pre dawn martian sky on sunday oct. 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. The comet s bright coma a diffuse cloud of dust enshrouding the nucleus and a dusty tail are clearly visible.

19 allowing scientists an unprecedented look at the comet as it flies by the red planet. Comet siding spring flew about 87 000. 19 comet c 2013 a1 comet siding spring will pass within about 87 000 miles 139 500 km of mars. 19 2014 when the comet made a close flyby of mars and the spacecraft.

86 500 mi from the center point of mars and the uncertainty region shows. 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. Astrophotographer damian peach shares this spectacular image of comet c 2013 a1 siding spring approaching mars taken just hours ago. Nasa s mars reconnaissance orbiter took these images of comet c 2013 a1 siding spring on oct.

Hubble images show comet siding spring has passed the snow and water lines the points at which the sun s warmth activates or releases gases and water ice to form the coma and tail. Initial observations by leonid elenin on 27 february 2013 suggested that it might pass 0 000276 au 41 300 km. With an observation arc of 733 days the nominal pass is 0 000931 au 139 300 km. The comet siding spring has made its close flyby of mars on oct.

This composite nasa 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. This is a composite image because a single exposure of the stellar background comet siding spring and mars would be problematic. Read the full story. The faint comet shows a small condensed coma and bent tail.