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To: Nateman

Since a half meter telescope is in orbit around Mars that telescope can record the close encounter.


NASA has given no indication of rotating Mars Observer to look at it, nor of diverting the Juno Probe [ which is EOL ] to move toward it.


71 posted on 08/29/2025 3:23:54 AM PDT by PIF (They came for me and mine ... now its your turn)
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To: PIF

I asked Grok about the possibility of using that Telescope on Mars for this 3i/Atlas task

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is indeed a candidate for observing the interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS, particularly during its close approach to Mars in early October 2025. The comet will pass within approximately 29 million kilometers (18 million miles) of Mars on October 3, 2025, and reach its perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on October 29, 2025, at 1.36 AU, just inside Mars’ orbit. During this period, 3I/ATLAS will be unobservable from Earth due to solar conjunction (appearing behind the Sun), but its proximity to Mars makes it feasible for Mars orbiters like MRO to capture images or data.The MRO’s High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) camera is particularly well-suited for this task. It’s capable of imaging small, distant objects, as demonstrated by its observations of Comet Siding Spring in 2014, when it captured high-resolution images from 138,000 kilometers away. For 3I/ATLAS, estimates suggest HiRISE could achieve a pixel resolution of about 30 kilometers per pixel at the comet’s closest approach to Mars, sufficient to resolve its nucleus (estimated to be 0.32–5.6 km in diameter, likely less than 1 km) and coma.

A July 2025 study by Atsuhiro Yaginuma and colleagues indicates that Mars orbiters, including MRO, could be used to observe 3I/ATLAS during this close encounter, especially as it may reach an apparent magnitude of 11 as seen from Mars, making it a viable target. The study also notes that redirecting MRO for a flyby is unlikely due to fuel constraints, but imaging from its current orbit is feasible.

NASA has not yet confirmed specific plans to task MRO with observing 3I/ATLAS, but scientists like Marshall Eubanks have been communicating with mission teams to explore this possibility, given the comet’s scientific value as only the third known interstellar object. The MRO’s history of imaging comets and its operational status (extended beyond the mid-2020s) support its potential use for this purpose.


74 posted on 08/29/2025 11:22:43 AM PDT by Nateman (Democrats did not strive for fraud friendly voting merely to continue honest elections.)
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