Approaching comet presents scientific opportunity
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.027812
Los Angeles Times : Comet Siding Spring, named for the Australian observatory that first spotted it last year, has been traveling from the Oort cloud toward the Sun for the past 1 million years. In October the comet will pass extremely close to Mars, and astronomers are gearing up for the event. While several Mars-orbiting spacecraft, including NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, may be in a good position to observe the comet, scientists want to make sure the satellites are not damaged by the trail of dust particles hurtling along in the comet’s wake. Through the use of computer modeling, research teams are working to determine how to maneuver their spacecraft into the best observing positions and still be able to “duck and cover” behind Mars once the comet has passed.
