Close Encounter with Mars. - Science Fiction Fantasy Chronicles: forums

Status · 9th August 2003, 08:35 PM

This is great stuff

I wish I could remember where I found this... really love info like this

----- Never again in your lifetime will the Red Planet be so spectacular! This month and next month the 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 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.

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.

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 grows progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month. Share with your children and grandchildren. No one alive today will ever see this again.

angelle myst · 11th August 2003, 07:09 AM

I love stuff like this too! Thanks for the info, i wouldn't have even known

Status · 11th August 2003, 08:19 AM

Has anyone seen it yet?

angelle myst · 11th August 2003, 08:46 AM

Not yet, but i haven't been looking

Mariel · 12th August 2003, 01:58 AM

I stayed up and looked the other night. I'll have to set my alarm for the 27th, I'm usually not up that late. :blush:
:blpaw:

Status · 12th August 2003, 02:36 AM

I'm not either but for something like this I'm not even trusting my alarm :lol:

I'm also praying for not clouds that night.

Hi-lites · 9th September 2003, 02:27 AM

I didn't get to see it.

I had forgotten about it and now look where it's gotten me. I won't ever get to see it again.

Status · 9th September 2003, 10:06 AM

You're not by yourself on that, Hi-lites, the clouds hid it from me :crying:

FeedMeTV · 13th September 2003, 02:45 PM

It's meant to still be fairly close though isn't it? I havn't seen it through a telescope yet but it looks sparkly and red to me, very pretty!

Dru · 15th September 2003, 09:48 PM

I saw it...it wasn't that big a deal....it was freakin tiny and the only thing that made it look differnt from the stars was it was a tiny bit bigger and slightly redish.

You can still sortta see it if it's clear but it's REALLY small now.

9th August 2003, 08:35 PM	#1 (permalink)
Status Master Confusser Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,383	Close Encounter with Mars. This is great stuff I wish I could remember where I found this... really love info like this ----- Never again in your lifetime will the Red Planet be so spectacular! This month and next month the 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 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. 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. 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 grows progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month. Share with your children and grandchildren. No one alive today will ever see this again.

11th August 2003, 08:19 AM	#3 (permalink)
Status Master Confusser Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,383	Have you seen it yet? Has anyone seen it yet?

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11th August 2003, 07:09 AM	#2 (permalink)
angelle myst Ash Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 1,772	I love stuff like this too! Thanks for the info, i wouldn't have even known

11th August 2003, 08:46 AM	#4 (permalink)
angelle myst Ash Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 1,772	Not yet, but i haven't been looking

12th August 2003, 01:58 AM	#5 (permalink)
Mariel I teach, therefore I rule Join Date: Apr 2001 Posts: 560	I stayed up and looked the other night. I'll have to set my alarm for the 27th, I'm usually not up that late. :blush: :blpaw:

12th August 2003, 02:36 AM	#6 (permalink)
Status Master Confusser Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,383	I'm not either but for something like this I'm not even trusting my alarm :lol: I'm also praying for not clouds that night.

9th September 2003, 02:27 AM	#7 (permalink)
Hi-lites Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 5	I didn't get to see it. I had forgotten about it and now look where it's gotten me. I won't ever get to see it again.

9th September 2003, 10:06 AM	#8 (permalink)
Status Master Confusser Join Date: Dec 2001 Posts: 2,383	You're not by yourself on that, Hi-lites, the clouds hid it from me :crying:

13th September 2003, 02:45 PM	#9 (permalink)
FeedMeTV The Fifth Member of SG-1 Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 803	It's meant to still be fairly close though isn't it? I havn't seen it through a telescope yet but it looks sparkly and red to me, very pretty!

15th September 2003, 09:48 PM	#10 (permalink)
Dru I'm a princess Join Date: Aug 2001 Posts: 910	I saw it...it wasn't that big a deal....it was freakin tiny and the only thing that made it look differnt from the stars was it was a tiny bit bigger and slightly redish. You can still sortta see it if it's clear but it's REALLY small now.