WANNA SEE MARS??

cowboy02 · July 31, 2003

Snipit I got in Mail today........

Very true.....

Close Encounter With Mars

> (Awesome natural occurrence)

>Never again in our lifetimes will the Red Planet be so spectacular!

>

>This month and next Earth is catching up with Mars, 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 ways Jupiters 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.

The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes

to within 34,649,589 miles 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 Mars will rise

>in

>the east at 10 p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m. But 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 a.m. That's pretty

convenient

when it comes to seeing something that no human 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.

silverado man · July 31, 2003

way cool man thanks.

The SPEEDY · August 1, 2003

As big as a full moon That won't be hard to miss.

greyghost03 · August 1, 2003

Cool! I'll have to check it out!

Wingnut · August 1, 2003

Kania2k1 · August 1, 2003

as big as the moon?!?!! Are you serious? That's pretty freakin kewl! Thanks

99silveradoz71 · August 1, 2003

Get out the lawn chairs

melbertbloosfan · August 1, 2003

as big as the moon?!?!! Are you serious? That's pretty freakin kewl! Thanks

Actually the moon covers about 30 arc-minutes. Mars will cover 25.11 arc-seconds. MUCH smaller than the moon, but Mars will be the next brightest thing in the sky. In mid-August Mars will surpass Sirius (sp) which is usually the brightest star. Look in the southeast (for US folks) round nightfall to midnite for good viewing come mid-late August. Binocs will bring out the brightness even more.