Comet Buzzes Mars in Once-in-a-Lifetime Flyby

Tweet

Germans Flew Flying Saucers in 1944, Claims Engineer | UFO CHRONICLE – 1954

By Mike Wall
www.space.com
10-19-14

      A comet zoomed by Mars today (Oct. 19) in an extremely rare close encounter that scientists billed as a "once-in-a-lifetime" event that may help researchers better understand the earliest days of our solar system.

Comet Siding Spring came within just 87,000 miles (139,500 kilometers) of the Martian surface at 2:27 p.m. EDT (1827 GMT) today — about one-third of the distance between Earth and the moon. At the time of closest approach, the comet barreled by at 126,000 mph (203,000 km/h) relative to the Red Planet, NASA officials said.

All seven spacecraft currently operating on or around Mars were scheduled to observe the close shave, with the aim of learning more about comet composition and behavior.

"We cannot plan missions to comets like this — this one was discovered less than two years ago. It is incredible luck that it is saving us the trouble of going to it, as it flies by Mars, which is being explored by seven active robots," Mark Lemmon of Texas A&M University, a camera team member for NASA's Curiosity and Opportunity Mars rovers, said in a statement. "So this very much is a once-in-a-lifetime event, for us and our rovers." . . .

Continue Reading . . .

See Also:

MARS: Rare Comet Encounter To Be Captured By Spacecraft

Comet Probe Finds Elements of Life

Rosetta Spacecraft's Planned Orbit Around Comet | VIDEO

Comet ISON is Back From the Dead! | VIDEO

SHARE YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

Tweet

MARS: Rare Comet Encounter To Be Captured By Spacecraft

By ALYSSA NEWCOMB
ABCnews
10-10-14

      A comet will hurtle past Mars next weekend, nearly missing the Red Planet but providing a once-in-a-lifetime show that will be captured by NASA's fleet of spacecraft.

Comet Siding Spring will pass within 87,000 miles of Mars on Sunday, Oct. 19 -- that's about one-third the distance between the Earth and the moon.

The comet is expected to come closest to Mars at 2:27 p.m. ET that day, moving at about 34 miles per second.

NASA moved its fleet of orbiting vehicles so they won't be impacted by dust particles from the comet. However, the fleet, including the newly arrived MAVEN, will be in a position to gather information about the size, rotation and gas composition of Siding Spring, agency officials said. . . .

Continue Reading . . .

See Also:

Comet Probe Finds Elements of Life

Rosetta Spacecraft's Planned Orbit Around Comet | VIDEO

Comet ISON is Back From the Dead! | VIDEO

SHARE YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE

NASA Mars Orbiter Arrives at Red Planet Tonight | VIDEO

Tweet

NASA Mars Orbiter Arrives at Red Planet Tonight:
Watch It Live

By Elizabeth Howell
Space.com
9-21-14

     A NASA spacecraft built to study the atmosphere of Mars like never before will arrive at the Red Planet tonight (Sept. 21) and you can watch it live online.

After 10 months in deep-space, NASA's Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) spacecraft is expected to enter orbit around Mars and begin a one-year mission studying the planet's upper atmosphere. The Mars arrival will cap a 442 million-mile (711 million kilometers) trek across the solar system.

You can watch the MAVEN spacecraft arrive at Mars on Space.com, courtesy of NASA TV, in a live webcast that runs from 9:30 p.m. to 10:45 p.m. EDT (0130 to 0245 GMT). If all goes well, MAVEN will enter orbit around Mars at 9:50 p.m. EDT (0250 GMT), according to NASA officials.

"So far, so good with the performance of the spacecraft and payloads on the cruise to Mars," David Mitchell, NASA's MAVEN project manager at the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, said in a statement. "The team, the flight system, and all ground assets are ready for Mars orbit insertion." . . .

Continue Reading . . .

See Also:

Mars Life? Martian Meteorite Pushing Case For Life

Proof of Life on Mars Destroyed, Claims Former NASA Scientist | VIDEO

Space and UFO Fans Can Now Take a Virtual Tour of Mars and the Moon

SHARE YOUR UFO EXPERIENCE