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The Red Planet is about to be spectacular! This month & next The Earth will be catching up with Mars in an encounter that will soon culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in our recorded history.



The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars & perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain Mars has NOT come this close to Earth in the last 5,000 years - and 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 & will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky. It will attain a "magnitude of -2.9 & will appear 25.11 'arc seconds' wide...att a modest 75-power magnification!!


Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. It will be easy to spot. At the beginning of August it will rise in the east at 10pm & reach its azimuth at about 3am.
By the end of August when the two planets are closest - Mars will rise at nightfall & reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30am.


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 & brighter throughout the month.


   NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN...!!!
   I'm mean..What or who can you trust these days 
   Check this out.
http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp



 

Whoa Glynn! You've actually got me to write a date in my diary!! Unheard of!! I watched the moon last night at its largest, it was just hanging in the sky over the cemetery at the back of our garden, really lovely, in a spooky kind of way. Lottie

 Thank you Glyn how very interesting, date on my calender. :)

Let's hope the Martians don't start firing space capsules at us.

Quote from: Glyn on June 24, 2005, 20:44:58
   I'm mean..What or who can you trust these days 

Glyn, you are indeed mean ... maybe you should 'fess up before anyone else puts it in their diaries without checking the link ::)!

QuoteGlyn, you are indeed mean

I did "Fess up" as soon as I found out. That's why I put the link in there.
It caught me as well you know.
Sorry. ;)

Glen, when I first saw the picture of Mars, I thought it was a new strain of oranges you are growing !  ::) ;D :D
Interesting article but as they say, well passed its date.

:D

 :'(  :'(  :'(  :'( Lottie

Is anyone with me in thinking that the polar cap there looks like a hole ?

Also, you can find unadulterated photos from the surface of mars in TRUE colour that will blow your mind, blue sky etc

That place will be VERY important in 20-30 years

"At a modest 75-power magnification Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye."

Most binoculars are 8 to 10 x magnification. 75 is NOT modest

It will still be tiny