[meteorite-list] Possible that comet will hit mars next year!!!

From: Graham Ensor <graham.ensor_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Mon, 4 Mar 2013 19:08:20 +0000
Message-ID: <CAJkn+kbhByNg=VBREdSK1aU1j0tFT-=eiSA0nvHtMDvnf+qe+A_at_mail.gmail.com>

Hi Jeff,

New data puts it so strike likelihood increasing.

        http://spaceobs.org/en/2013/02/27/new-data-concerning-the-close-approach-of-comet-c2013-a1-to-mars/

If not an impact this means the planet will pass through the comet's
coma. Lots of dust and gas. Meteor showers at the surface and all the
hardware we have put there will be at risk. They are going to have to
give some serious thought as to how to protect the MRO.

My nephew at Oxford Uni calculated (roughly at the moment) that the
apparent mag of the explosion if there is an impact would be between
mag -3 and -6 as seen from Earth (variation due to uncertainty in
diameter of comet nucleus).

I am surprised that there has not been more about this in the news,
especially since the Russian meteor.

Graham

Graham
Received on Mon 04 Mar 2013 02:08:20 PM PST