NASA is preparing its resources - especially those orbiting or roving on Mars - for a comet flyby on Oct.19.
Comet C/2013 A1, also called Sliding Spring, was first discovered in January 3, 2013. Since then, scientists have been monitoring the comet and initially predicted that it might collide with the Red Planet. Witnessing the flyby is considered a once-in-a-lifetime event, as the comet is estimated to reach the Solar System once in a million years.
Sliding Spring will have a close encounter with the Red Planet at a distance of 87,000 miles (139, 500 kilometers) at 11:27 a.m. PDT at a speed of 126,000 mph. The distance is equivalent to half the gap between Earth and the moon. The proximity of the comet will allow scientists to study the comet and observe its effect in the Red Planet.
The comet will be coming from a spherical region known as the Oort Cloud, which is composed of icy objects that were believed to be remnants from the time when the Solar System was being formed. The comet will be the first from Oort Cloud to be documented and studied by a spacecraft, giving researchers a chance to discover more about its materials, mainly carbon and water compounds.
"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," astronaut and associate administrator for NASA's Science Mission Directorate in Washington, John Grunsfeld said. "This particular comet has never before entered the inner solar system, so it will provide a fresh source of clues to our solar system's earliest days."
NASA has already maneuvered the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, the Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN), and the Mars Odyssey orbiter to lessen the impact of the dust particles from the comet.
