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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
>10p.m. 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 12:30a.m. 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.
>NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN
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
>10p.m. 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 12:30a.m. 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.
>NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN
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