Siding Spring Comet flew close to Mars

The celestial body came from the Oort Cloud, a spherical region at the periphery of the Solar System, serving as a source of long-period comets, reports itar-tass.com. This is the first comet flown out there the experts can explore at close range by space probes.

The comet will be monitored by several devices on the Martian orbit, Curiosity and Opportunity Mars rovers, which continue their journey to the Red Planet, as well as ground-based and space-based telescopes, including the famous Hubble Space Telescope. Scientists believe that the observation of the comet should expand the understanding of the origin and evolution of the Solar System.