On the 19th of October at 20:28 SAST Comet Siding Spring is due to make a close flyby of Mars, passing at a distance of just 140,000 km, or about one third of the distance between the Earth and our Moon. This is ten times closer than any known comet has flown by Earth and the comet will be hurtling along at a speed of about 56 km/s!
To celebrate the close encounter, the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) together with Living Maths will be hosting a Google+ hangout from 20:00 – 21:00 SAST with a live audience at the SAAO to discuss the close flyby and all things comet and space related.
