[ANTHONYD]

>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 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

[Frost__2001]

cool, hopefully it will not be cloudy, raining or the sky being shut out by light pollutions

[Kool_ZX3]

ANTHONYD,Aug 18 2005, 12:33 PM Wrote:>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 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
[right][snapback]133805[/snapback][/right]

Sweet, something to watch out for B) Just wish my telescope wasn't a pain in the ass :rolleyes:

[Oscar The Grouch]

NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN
[right][snapback]133805[/snapback][/right]
[/quote]

Bah... We'll be living on Mars soon enough. They'll probably turn it into a retirement home or maybe a garbage dump. :lol:

[Frost__2001]

lol If americans ran Mars it would become a ginat garbage dump lol.

[2001 ZTS]

Sorry, FALSE.

A complete exageration. It will appear about as big or bright as an average star and no brigher than Venus on any other day.

Do the math people.

[BrooksZX3]

2001 ZTS,Aug 18 2005, 12:58 PM Wrote:Sorry, FALSE.

A complete exageration. It will appear about as big or bright as an average star and no brigher than Venus on any other day.

Do the math people.
[right][snapback]133813[/snapback][/right]

I believe this is the math...

ANTHONYD,Aug 18 2005, 12:33 PM Wrote:At a modest 75-power magnification Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.
[right][snapback]133805[/snapback][/right]

sounds cool to me... I'd book a date at the observatory for sure! B)

[2001 ZTS]

I'm a killjoy:

Article Last Updated: 08/18/2005 12:48:12 AM

See Mars really big . . . or will you?By Sheena McFarland
The Salt Lake Tribune



The e-mail is plenty alluring, ending with this message: "Share this with your children and grandchildren. NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN."

"THIS," according to the fast-spreading e-mail, is the night sky on Aug. 27, when Mars in all its red splendor will appear as large as the moon.

The only part of the e-mail that is true, however, is that anyone who sees such a thing will never see it again.

"If we really did see Mars as big as the moon, it would be a really bad day because it would probably mean we'd all die," said Patrick Wiggins, NASA ambassador to Utah.

In reality, Mars will glow redder than usual at the end of October, but it still will take a telescope to make the planet appear to match the moon's size, Wiggins said.

Two years ago, Aug. 27 did mark the day when Mars was closer to the Earth than it had been in about 60,000 years - at 35 million miles away. But Mars regularly comes close about every 26 months, said Mike Murray, programs manager at Clark Planetarium.

Mars in October will be about 43 million miles away from Earth, which seems like a huge distance, but in astronomical terms, it's fairly close, Murray said.
"We don't want to be too down on this. It will still be a great event and Mars will be quite bright, even from the city," he said.

Mars will shine brighter than any star in the sky this autumn and winter.
In order to catch a closer look, Wiggins has arranged a star-watching party on Oct. 22 to view the red planet with Stansbury Park's high-powered telescopes. He hopes to arrange more parties to accommodate those who took interest in what he is calling the "Mars Hoax."

Given a clear sky, he said viewers can see Mars' northern pole and some surface features.

"It's wonderful to be able to see this other world, and to realize that in a few generations, people could be walking around up there," Wiggins said.
Until that happens, late October will probably be the closest view people will have until December 2007.

For more information about the Salt Lake Astronomical Society's star parties at Stansbury Park, visit http://www.slas.us or call 435-882-1209.

Again, Venus (aka "the morning star") is likely as bright any given day than Mars would ever be at it's peak.

[Flofocus]

Quote:In reality, Mars will glow redder than usual at the end of October, but it still will take a telescope to make the planet appear to match the moon's size, Wiggins said.

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

:huh:

What are you trying to be a killjoy about.

The 1st post was pretty clear

[Raine]

What the first post said was that the red planet will be closer to the earth than it's ever been. That's simply not true. 2 years ago marked it's closest encounted with earth in our recorded history... but if you guys have a chance, get out of the city and point your binoculars or telescopes to the sky... still lots of cool stuff to see.

[ANTHONYD]

Oh well it won't keep me from watching stars.