(MENAFN- QNA) Researchers from United States Government's space agency National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) will gather data from comet Siding Spring and its effect on Mars' atmosphere when it passes within 139,500 kms (87,000 miles) from the planet on October 19.
Siding Spring, technically known as Comet C/2013 A1, will pass less than half the distance between Earth and Moon and less than one-tenth the distance of any known comet flyby of Earth when it flies past Mars.
NASA's extensive fleet of science assets, particularly those orbiting and roving Mars, have front row seats to image and study a once-in-a-lifetime comet flyby.
Siding Spring's nucleus will come closest to Mars around 2:27 p.m. EDT, travelling around 126,000 mph (56 kilometres per second). This proximity will provide an unprecedented opportunity for researchers to gather data on both the comet and its effect on the Martian atmosphere.
Speaking about the close encounter with the comet, Astronaut and Associate Administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington said, "This is a cosmic science gift that could potentially keep on giving, and the agency's diverse science missions will be in full receive mode. This comet has never entered the inner solar system. It will provide a fresh source of clues to our solar system's earliest days."
Siding Spring comes from the Oort Cloud, a spherical region of space surrounding our sun and occupying space at a distance between 5,000 and 100,000 astronomical units. It is a giant swarm of icy objects believed to be material left over from the formation of the solar system. (MORE)
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