Sun view of Comet Siding Spring and the Mars orbiting fleet

For complete transcript, click here. On October 19, Comet Siding Spring will pass within 88,000 miles of Mars – just one third of the distance from the Earth to the Moon! Traveling at 33 miles per second and weighing as much as a small mountain, the comet hails from the outer fringes of our solar system, originating in a region of icy debris known as the Oort cloud.Comets from the Oort cloud are both ancient and rare. Since this is Comet Siding Spring’s first trip through the inner solar system, scientists are excited to learn more about its composition and the effects of its gas and dust on the Mars upper atmosphere.NASA will be watching closely before, during, and after the flyby with its entire fleet of Mars orbiters and rovers, along with the Hubble Space Telescope and dozens of instruments on Earth. The encounter is certain to teach us more about Oort cloud comets, the Martian atmosphere, and the solar system’s earliest ingredients. For More InformationSee [http://mars.nasa.gov/comets/sidingspring/](http://mars.nasa.gov/comets/sidingspring/) Related pages

On October 19, 2014, Comet Siding Spring will make a remarkably close encounter with Mars, buzzing the Red Planet at just one third of the Earth-Moon distance. To witness this historic event, NASA has mobilized an entire fleet of rovers, orbiters, Earth observatories and space telescopes.For complete transcript, click here.Watch this video on the NASAexplorer YouTube channel. On October 19, Comet Siding Spring will pass within 88,000 miles of Mars – just one third of the distance from the Earth to the Moon! Traveling at 33 miles per second and weighing as much as a small mountain, the comet hails from the outer fringes of our solar system, originating in a region of icy debris known as the Oort cloud.Comets from the Oort cloud are both ancient and rare. Since this is Comet Siding Spring’s first trip through the inner solar system, scientists are excited to learn more about its composition and the effects of its gas and dust on the Mars upper atmosphere. NASA will be watching closely before, during, and after the flyby with its entire fleet of Mars orbiters and rovers, along with the Hubble Space Telescope and dozens of instruments on Earth. The encounter is certain to teach us more about Oort cloud comets, the Martian atmosphere, and the solar system’s earliest ingredients. For More InformationSee [http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/comets/sidingspring/](http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/comets/sidingspring/) Related pages

B-roll used to support Comet Siding Spring Live shot on Friday, October 17, 2014 Jim Green talks about the close encounter between Mars and Comet Siding Spring at the Oct 17, 2014 liveshot. This is a canned interview.For complete transcript, click here. Michelle Thaller talks about the close encounter between Mars and Comet Siding Spring at the Oct 17, 2014 liveshot. This is a canned interview.For complete transcript, click here. Jared Espley talks about the close encounter between Mars and Comet Siding Spring at the Oct 17, 2014 liveshot. This is a canned interview.For complete transcript, click here. Spanish InterviewSandra Cauffman talks about the close encounter between Mars and Comet Siding Spring at the Oct 17, 2014 liveshot. This is a canned interview. Comet Siding Spring is a rare comet, and is passing Mars from a mere 88,000 miles as it makes its maiden voyage towards the sun. This close approach to the Red Planet will give NASA's fleet of satellites and rovers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to study this comet up close. For More InformationSee [mars.nasa.gov/comets/sidingspring](mars.nasa.gov/comets/sidingspring) Related pages

NASA's MAVEN spacecraft observes Comet Siding Spring during its encounter with Mars. This artist's concept simulates a ground-based view of Comet Siding Spring at its colsest approach to Mars. Victoria, a Martian crater previously visited by NASA's Opportunity rover, is visible in the foreground. A still image of the above artist's concept. The image is available in small and medium resolution versions, and a large-resolution version suitable for print. The original Photoshop file is also included. On October 19, 2014, Mars will receive a first-time visitor from the outer fringes of the solar system. C/2013 A1, better known as Comet Siding Spring, has been traveling toward the inner solar system for millions of years, and will just miss Mars by a distance of 88,000 miles on October 19 (roughly one-third of the distance from the Earth to the Moon). These animations depict the flyby as seen from orbit above Mars, and as seen from the Martian surface. The blue portion of Comet Siding Spring's tail is composed of ionized gas swept away from the Sun by the solar wind. The gray portion is composed of heavier dust particles, which are moving at 33 miles per second relative to Mars. For More InformationSee [http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/comets/sidingspring/](http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/comets/sidingspring/) Related pages