You are currently viewing the summary.
View Full TextLog in to view the full text
AAAS login provides access to Science for AAAS members, and access to other journals in the Science family to users who have purchased individual subscriptions.
More options
Download and print this article for your personal scholarly, research, and educational use.
Buy a single issue of Science for just $15 USD.
Summary
On 19 October, the comet Siding Spring will sideswipe Mars in a near miss that will be on display for five orbiting spacecraft, including two that just arrived last month. After cowering from high-speed dust in the comet's tail, the spacecraft will examine the comet and watch as its diffuse atmosphere collides with Mars. Unlike other comets that have been visited by spacecraft, Siding Spring hails from the Oort cloud, a distant holding tank for trillions of comets, and its orbit suggests that it is a first-time visitor to the inner solar system. Scientists are hoping to get a glimpse of the comet's nucleus, which would be a first for this class of comet.
