Comet Encounter

  • Released Thursday, October 23rd, 2014
  • Updated Wednesday, May 3rd, 2023 at 1:50PM
  • ID: 11676

On October 19, 2014, Comet Siding Spring had a remarkably close encounter with Mars, buzzing the Red Planet at just one-third the distance from Earth to the moon. The comet hails from far beyond Pluto's orbit, originating in a region of icy debris known as the Oort cloud. Comets from the Oort cloud are both ancient and rare. Such comets were born during the formation of our solar system and are older than Earth itself. As Comet Siding Spring passed by Mars, it left behind a trail of gas and dust. Using space and ground-based telescopes, along with NASA’s fleet of Mars orbiters and rovers, scientists will study the composition of the comet and the effects of its gas and dust on the Martian atmosphere. Watch the video to learn more.

An icy visitor drops by Mars.

An icy visitor drops by Mars.

Astronomers at Australia’s Siding Spring Observatory discovered the comet in January 2013. Find out more in this video.

This image of Comet Siding Spring was taken in March 2014.

This image of Comet Siding Spring was taken in March 2014.

This illustration shows the distance of the comet to Mars at its closest approach on October 19, 2014.

This illustration shows the distance of the comet to Mars at its closest approach on October 19, 2014.

Multiple NASA missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope (above), observed the comet during its Mars flyby.

Multiple NASA missions, including the Hubble Space Telescope (above), observed the comet during its Mars flyby.

For More Information

See NASA.gov

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Credits

Please give credit for this item to:
NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center
Comet image courtesy of NASA/ESA/Planetary Science Institute/J.-Y. Li