Taking data from different Hubble images, scientists have created a cool composite image showing Comet Siding Spring as it flew past the red planet on Sunday.
During Comet Siding Spring’s flyby of Mars on Sunday Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter was able to capture an image of the comet’s nucleus.
Prior to its arrival near Mars astronomers estimated the nucleus or comet’s core diameter at around 0.6 mile (1 km). Based on these images, where the brightest feature is only 2-3 pixels across, its true size is shy of 1/3 mile or 0.5 km.
Press releases from science teams for Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, and Mars Odyssey confirm that all three spacecraft are functioning properly after Comet Siding Spring’s fly-by of Mars today.
All three spacecraft also did observations of the fly-by, the data of which will take a few days to download. Stay tuned.
Update: Europe’s Mars Express and India’s Mangalyaan orbiters are also reported to have escaped damage during the fly-by.
On Sunday Comet Siding Spring will whiz past Mars at a distance of only 82,000 miles.
The article gives a good overview of where look to see the comet if you own a telescope, as well as what the many spacecraft at Mars are going to do to both view the fly-by as well as protect themselves from it.
Engineers are repositioning the American spacecraft orbiting Mars so that they will be better protected by the planet when Comet Siding Spring flies past on October 19.
The comet’s nucleus will miss Mars by about 82,000 miles (132,000 kilometers), shedding material hurtling at about 35 miles (56 kilometers) per second, relative to Mars and Mars-orbiting spacecraft. At that velocity, even the smallest particle — estimated to be about one-fiftieth of an inch (half a millimeter) across — could cause significant damage to a spacecraft.
NASA currently operates two Mars orbiters, with a third on its way and expected to arrive in Martian orbit just a month before the comet flyby. Teams operating the orbiters plan to have all spacecraft positioned on the opposite side of the Red Planet when the comet is most likely to pass by.
Hubble takes an image of Comet Siding Spring and finds two jets coming off the nucleus.
The comet will fly past Mars on October 19 by a distance of only 84,000 miles, which makes understanding its jets crucially important for protecting the various spacecraft that orbit the red planet.
