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Comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring)'s trajectory past Mars

Comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring)'s trajectory past Mars
Comet C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring)'s trajectory past Mars C/2013 A1 (Siding Spring) will pass extremely close to Mars on October 19, 2014. This orbital diagram was based on slightly older observational data that showed the closest approach happening on October 20. The comet will be coming up from south of the ecliptic in a direction opposite to that of Mars'. (The orbits are drawn in dark colors where they dip below the ecliptic, and bright colors when they rise above the ecliptic. Since Earth's orbit is, by definition, in the ecliptic, its orbit is bright everywhere.) JPL Small-body Database Browser/Emily Lakdawalla