Planetary Society logo
  • “Exploration is in our nature.” - Carl Sagan
Author

All

Keyword

All

Stories, updates, insights, and original analysis from The Planetary Society.

Artist's concept of comet Siding Spring passing Mars

So Close and Yet So Far: Why isn't Siding Spring going to sandblast Mars?

Comet Siding Spring is going to make a very close approach to Mars in October. Any comet dust that reaches Mars has the potential to inflict significant damage on the spacecraft orbiting the planet. As it turns out, however, Mars and its orbiters are likely to see very few, if any, impacts. Why?