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Direction: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions.

A comet, the size of a small mountain whizzed past Mars on 20th October, dazzling space enthusiasts with the once-in-a-million-years encounter.

The comet was discovered by Robert McNaught at Australia's Siding Spring Observatory in January 2013. Known as Siding Spring, the comet made its closest encounter with Mars at 2:27 pm (1827 GMT), racing past the Red Planet at a breakneck 126,000 miles (203,000kilometers) per hour.

Before the comet passed, it could be seen in space racing toward the brightly illuminated Red Planet, trailed by a cloud of debris. The comet is around one mile wide and is only about as solid as a pile of talcum powder. As it hurtled through space it created a meteor shower and shed debris mostly dust and pebbles - which scientists had feared could damage valuable spacecraft hovering Mars.

The comet has travelled more than one million years to take its first pass by Mars, and will not return for another million years, after it completes its next long loop around the sun.

Scientists said the comet's passing offered a unique chance to study its impact on Mars's atmosphere.

Why the space scientists were so enthused about the comet?

A)  The comet will not return for another million years

B)  As the comet hurtled through space it created a meteor shower and shed debris

C)  It gave the scientists a chance to study its im- pact on Mars atmosphere

D)  Both A & C

E)  None of these