Cometary dust streams at Mars: Preliminary predictions from meteor streams at Earth and from periodic comets

Abstract

Spacecraft are at risk from impacts of interplanetary dust particles, and those particles are concentrated near the orbits of comets and of meteor streams, which are (for the most part) inferred to derive from comets. To explore potential dangers to Mars‐orbiting spacecraft from cometary dust, we screened known comets and meteor showers for those with orbits that closely approach Mars' orbit. Of the 135 periodic Mars‐crossing comets, the orbits of 50 approach within 0.1 AU of Mars and so are potential current sources of dust and meteor streams at Mars. Among these, IP/Halley, IP/Tempel 1, and 1991D1 P/Hermann seem the most promising targets for further study. Past orbits of all Mars‐crossing comets might also yield meteor streams at Mars. Among known meteor streams, the daytime Arietids and Geminids could produce significant numbers of meteors at Mars but have not produced (so far) meteor storms that could present significant dangers to spacecraft.