Utah People's Post

The Latest News from the Beehive State

Saturday, January 16, 2021
Log in
  • National News
    • Female Caseworker Killed & Doctor Shot in Philadelphia
  • State News
    • Car Chase Leads to Drug Arrest
  • Tech & Science
  • Health
    • How to Prepare For Ticks Season
    • Magical Weight Loss Bean Scam
  • Sports
  • Business
You are here: Home / Tech & Science / Comet Flies by Mars in Once-in-a-Lifetime Event

Comet Flies by Mars in Once-in-a-Lifetime Event

Posted by

comet-siding-spring-mars-flyby-slooh-oct19-2014

During an extremely rare fly-by, comet Siding Spring zoomed by Mars on October 19th in an event that scientists bill as being once-in-a-lifetime. The event could help astronomers better understand what occurred during the earliest days of our solar system.

Siding Spring flew as close as 87,000 miles to the Martian surface at 2:27 PM EDT-approximately one third of the distance between Earth and the moon. NASA officials revealed that, at the time of its closest point to the Red Planet, the comet flew by at approximately 126,000 mph.

NASA specialists had scheduled all available spacecrafts currently operating on Mars or around it to observe the unique encounter of celestial bodies, hoping that astronomers would learn more about comet behavior and composition

“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 said.

The camera team member for NASA’s Curiosity and Opportunity Rovers was thrilled at Sunday’s event:

“So this very much is a once-in-a-lifetime event, for us and our rovers.”

Other astronomers have likened Sunday’s fly-by to the epic impact of Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 with Jupiter, which occurred in 1994. Planetary scientist David Grinspoon tracked the comet in real time for a live webcast by the Slooh Community Observatory.

“It’s very rare. And it’s certainly the first time that I can think of that I’ve seen it happen with Mars.”

Grinspoon said.

However, what excites scientists the most is the secrets that such comets hide about the early stages of the solar system. They are time capsules, so to speak, which were left over from the formation of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago, and as such, they can be studied. Scientists can determine the prevailing conditions at the time when planets were first coming together.

Comer Siding Spring has a core between 0.5 and 5 miles wide and has the unique trait that it has never been baked by the sun: this means that it most likely looks the way it did 4.6 billion years ago.

“NASA’s Planetary Science assets – including the MAVEN spacecraft which just entered Mars’ orbit last month – are in prime positions to gather data and record this once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon,”

Congressman Lamar Smith, chairman of the House of Science, Space and Technology Committee said.

“These are the events that inspire our imaginations and remind us why we must continue investing in planetary science and NASA’s primary mission of space exploration.”

he added.

Share this:

  • Tweet
  • Share on Tumblr
  • Email

Filed Under: Tech & Science Tagged With: coment encounter, comet, comet fly by, comet passes mars, comet siding spring, Curiosity rover, fly-by, Mars, mars comet, Mars Rover, red planet, Researchers, siding spring, Solar System, unique event

Woman working out at the gym

Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time

By

Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)

By

United Airlines airplane

Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston

By

Breakfast sandwich

Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat

By

Poppy flower

UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply

By

U.S.-Canada border

French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border

By

Plus size model

Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

By

Giant manta ray

Unique Manta Ray Nursery Spotted off Texas Coast

By

The rainbow flag

WHO Scraps Transgenderism from List of Mental Illnesses

By

456 People Dead at U.K. Hospital after Taking too Many Painkillers

By

Kenyan girls dancing

Kenyans Facing Poor Nutrition as Supermarket Shopping Is on the Rise

By

Pages

  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy GDPR
  • Staff
  • Terms and Conditions

Recent Posts

  • Just 23% of Americans Are Working Out Enough in Their Spare Time
  • Poliovirus Therapy Gives Brain Cancer Patients New Hope (Study)
  • Passenger Mysteriously Dies on United Airlines flight Bound for Boston
  • Here Are Some Foods No Nutritionist Would Ever Eat
  • UN Warns of Surge in Opium-based Drugs and Cocaine Supply
  • French Jogger Detained 2 Weeks for Accidentally Crossing Border
  • Normalizing Plus Size Could Fuel Obesity Crisis (Study)

Related Articles

  • Crosses on a wall

    Religious People Live Longer, Are Less Stressed than Atheists, Study

  • Antineutrino Detector

    Scientists Discover an Even More Elusive Particle than Neutrinos

  • Funny Albert Einstein

    Time Travel Is Already Here

  • Planet 2003UB313

    Scientists Found Evidence that Elusive Planet 9 May Be Real

  • Kuiper Belt Object

    This Asteroid in Kuiper Belt Is Nothing Scientists Have Seen Before

  • Elephant raising its trunk

    Elephants Communicate with Their Feet, Scientists Confirm

  • Starbucks store

    Black Men Settle for $1 Each after Racist Arrest at Starbucks

  • Tech addiction

    Facebook Pioneers Forming Coalition to Lobby Against Tech Addiction

  • Kaspersky Co-founder Natalia Kasperskaya

    Kaspersky Boss: Bitcoin Was Created by U.S. Govt to Fund CIA’s Black Ops

  • Amazon Go shopper

    Amazon Gets Rid of Cashiers at Its Check-Out Free Store

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • National News
  • Nature
  • Provo
  • Salt Lake News
  • Science
  • Sports
  • State News
  • Tech & Science
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • West Jordan
  • West Valley City
  • World

Copyright © 2021 utahpeoplespost.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Site Map · Contact

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.
This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more.