It's a known fact that planets have atmospheres, but the same can't be said for comets. The atmosphere of a comet, called its "coma," is made of gas and dust that spew out of the sun-warmed nucleus and it's typically wider than Jupiter.
Latest ScienceCast video examines what might happen if the atmosphere of Comet Siding Spring hits the atmosphere of Mars on October 19, 2014, when the comet flybys just 132 000 km away from the surface of Mars.
One of the things scientists hope for is that this interaction will lead to some remarkable effects including Martian auroras.
Video courtesy of Science @ NASA
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