At one point, there were concerns the comet might actually collide with the Red Planet. While it ultimately missed by about 140,000 kilometers, it passed close enough that NASA and ESA had to shield their orbiting spacecraft from high-speed comet dust. The event allowed the Curiosity and Opportunity rovers to look up from the Martian surface and capture images of a comet from another world—a first in human history. 3. C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy): The Reliable Performer
While hundreds of objects are cataloged every decade, 2013 was an extraordinary year for "dirty snowballs." It was the year we witnessed the "Comet of the Century" hype, a terrifying surprise over Russia, and a deep-space encounter with Mars. 1. C/2013 S1 (ISON): The Comet of the Century (That Wasn't) c 2013
C/2013: The Year the Skies Caught Fire In the world of astronomy, the prefix "C/2013" marks a specific vintage of cosmic discovery. According to the naming conventions of the International Astronomical Union, this designation refers to non-periodic comets discovered in the year 2013. At one point, there were concerns the comet
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