The distance of comet c 2013 a1 siding spring from earth is currently 2 664 565 082 kilometers equivalent to 17 811517 astronomical units.
Comet siding spring orbit.
Siding spring came within 1 2 astronomical units of earth and 2 25 au of the sun on october 7 2009.
Its orbital path can be seen in the movie below.
The orbit of comet siding spring c 2013 a1 is highly eccentric.
C 2013 a1 siding spring classification.
Just weeks before the historic encounter of comet c 2013 a1 siding spring with mars in october 2014 nasa s mars atmosphere and volatile evolution maven spacecraft entered orbit around the red planet.
Comet siding spring flew about 87 000 miles from mars during the encounter.
Nasa s opportunity rover and mars reconnaissance orbiter had their cameras fixated on comet c 2013 a1 siding spring on october 19th 2014.
Light takes 2 hours 28 minutes and 8 0324 seconds to travel from comet c 2013 a1 siding spring and arrive to us.
Studies in 2014 showed the threat to orbiting spacecraft to be minimal.
The comet was visible with binoculars until january 2010.
In 2013 it was thought possible that comet siding spring would create a meteor shower on mars or be a threat to the spacecraft in mars orbit.
19 comet c 2013 a1 also known as comet siding spring will pass within about 87 000 miles 139 500 kilometers of the red planet less than half the distance between earth and our moon and less than one tenth the distance of any known comet flyby of earth.
The most interesting thing about c 2013 a1 s orbit is that it will come very close to mars on october 19 2014.
Distance kilometers 2 664 565 082 distance au 17 811517.
1003228 ephemeris orbit diagram orbital elements physical parameters close approach data.
The latest trajectory of comet 2013 a1 siding spring generated by the near earth object program office at nasa s jet propulsion laboratory in pasadena calif indicates the comet will pass within 186 000 miles 300 000 kilometers of mars and there is a strong possibility that it might pass much closer.
C 2007 q3 siding spring is an oort cloud comet that was discovered by donna burton in 2007 at siding spring observatory in new south wales australia.