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Mars – October 18, 2014
This image of Mars was taken with Hubble's Wide Field Camera 3 at 10:37 p.m. EDT on Oct.18, 2014.
About the Object
- DistanceDistanceThe physical distance from Earth to the astronomical object. Distances within our solar system are usually measured in Astronomical Units (AU). Distances between stars are usually measured in light-years. Interstellar distances can also be measured in parsecs.On October 19, 2014, at 2:28 p.m. EDT, Mars and Comet Siding Spring were approximately 149 million miles from Earth and passed within 87,000 miles (1.5 arcminutes) of each other.
About the Data
- Data DescriptionData DescriptionProposal: A description of the observations, their scientific justification, and the links to the data available in the science archive.
Science Team: The astronomers who planned the observations and analyzed the data. "PI" refers to the Principal Investigator.The image was created from Hubble data from the following proposals: 13936: PI: Z. Levay and the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA) and 13675: PI: J.-Y. Li (Planetary Science Institute), T. Farnham and M. Kelley (University of Maryland), N. Samarasinha (Planetary Science Institute), D. Bodewits and M. A'Hearn (University of Maryland), C. Lisse (JHU/APL), W. Delamere (Delamere Support Services), and M. Mutchler (STScI). - InstrumentInstrumentThe science instrument used to produce the data.HST>WFC3/UVIS
- Exposure DatesExposure DatesThe date(s) that the telescope made its observations and the total exposure time.October 18, 2014
- FiltersFiltersThe camera filters that were used in the science observations.F410M and F673N
- Object NameObject NameA name or catalog number that astronomers use to identify an astronomical object.Mars
- Object DescriptionObject DescriptionThe type of astronomical object.Planet
- Release DateOctober 23, 2014
- Science ReleaseClose Encounters: Comet Siding Spring Seen Next to Mars
- Credits
Color Info
Color InfoA brief description of the methods used to convert telescope data into the color image being presented.
Cyan: F410M Orange: F673N
Related Images & Videos
Mars and Comet Siding Spring - October 19, 2014
This composite Hubble Space Telescope image captures the positions of Comet Siding Spring and Mars in a never-before-seen close passage of a comet by the Red Planet, which happened at 2:28 p.m. EDT October 19, 2014. On that date the comet passed by Mars at approximately 87,000...
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Last Updated
Feb 17, 2025
Contact
Media
Claire Andreoli
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland
claire.andreoli@nasa.gov
