Mars spacecraft prepare to observe comet flyby
Posted: Tue, Oct 14, 2014, 9:41 AM ET (1341 GMT)
An international fleet of spacecraft orbiting and on the surface of Mars are planning to observe a comet as it makes a close flyby of Mars this coming Sunday. Comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring will pass less than 140,000 kilometers from Mars on October 19, with its closest approach at 2:27 pm EDT (1827 GMT). Several NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars, as well as the Curiosity and Opportunity rovers, plan to make observations of the comet as it flies by Mars, although the orbiters will be positioned on the opposite side of Mars from the comet at closest approach to minimize the risk of damage from cometary dust. ESA's Mars Express and India's Mars Orbiter Mission, two other spacecraft orbiting Mars, also plan to observe the comet during its flyby. Siding Spring is the first comet coming in directly from the distant Oort Cloud to be observed up close by spacecraft. Other spacecraft orbiting the Earth, and groundbased telescopes, plan to observe the comet.
An international fleet of spacecraft orbiting and on the surface of Mars are planning to observe a comet as it makes a close flyby of Mars this coming Sunday. Comet C/2013 A1 Siding Spring will pass less than 140,000 kilometers from Mars on October 19, with its closest approach at 2:27 pm EDT (1827 GMT). Several NASA spacecraft orbiting Mars, as well as the Curiosity and Opportunity rovers, plan to make observations of the comet as it flies by Mars, although the orbiters will be positioned on the opposite side of Mars from the comet at closest approach to minimize the risk of damage from cometary dust. ESA's Mars Express and India's Mars Orbiter Mission, two other spacecraft orbiting Mars, also plan to observe the comet during its flyby. Siding Spring is the first comet coming in directly from the distant Oort Cloud to be observed up close by spacecraft. Other spacecraft orbiting the Earth, and groundbased telescopes, plan to observe the comet.
Related Links:
| <<previous article | next article>> |
|
news in brief
|
|
Apex becomes billion-dollar company with $200 million Series D round
Posted: Sun, Sep 14 4:09 AM ET (0809 GMT) |
|
news links
|
|
Monday, September 15
Elon Musk's Starlink reports service outage, thousands of users affected
Reuters — 1:23 am ET (0523 GMT) What does the loss of U.S. Space Command mean to Colorado Springs?
Denver Post — 1:21 am ET (0521 GMT) SpaceX Launches Northrop Grumman Cargo Ship To ISS
Aviation Week — 1:18 am ET (0518 GMT) SpaceX launches Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on Sunday
WESH-TV Orlando — 1:18 am ET (0518 GMT) Apollo 13 made Jim Lovell a legend generations after the space race
The Hill — 1:09 am ET (0509 GMT) |
