NOONE ALIVE WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN

[Lyn]

Mars


The Red Planet is about to be spectacular!

This month and next, Earth is catching up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the Last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens
again.

The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide. At a modest 75-power magnification

Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. Mars will be easy to spot. At the beginning of August it will rise in the east at 10.pm and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m. By the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30 am. That's pretty convenient to see something that no human being has seen in recorded history. So, mark your calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars grow progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month.

Share this with your children and grandchildren.

[Hawk Believer]

My once cryogenically frozen head will witness the next one atop my new cybertronic body.

[PisnNapalm]

http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp

[Hawk Believer]

Originally Posted by PisnNapalm

http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp

Snopes rocks.

[Livinginthe past]

Originally Posted by Hawk Believer

My once cryogenically frozen head will witness the next one atop my new cybertronic body.

You've been watching too much Futurama, Hawk!

Maybe you can get to share a container with Dick Nixons head?!

NM

[CAH]

Originally Posted by Hawk Believer

Snopes rocks.

So many times I've been excited about something, checked Snopes and my feet land again.

[HometownGal]

It was a cool read, anyway. Who knows - maybe this will happen someday. I love astronomy and when I'm over my friend Joanne's house, I use her son's telescope to marvel at how beautiful the sky is.

[SteelCzar76]

[QUOTE=Lyn]Mars



The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide. At a modest 75-power magnification



Hmmm,.........interesting.

"Hail Caesar,.....Hail The Black and Gold"

[j-dawg]

yep, i waited in line for over an hour back in 2003 to get a look at mars through a telescope set up at the los angeles zoo.... it was bright and stuff.

[tony hipchest]

Originally Posted by j-dawg

yep, i waited in line for over an hour back in 2003 to get a look at mars through a telescope set up at the los angeles zoo.... it was bright and stuff.

WHEW, and i though waiting in line for an hour to ride "superman" at magic mountain was bad in 1998 - 1999.