captain-spanky
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Jul 14, 2003
- Messages
- 751
- Reaction score
- 2
- Location
- in a bubble in Yorkshire, UK
- Website
- www.higg.co.uk
CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH MARS
Never again in our lifetime will the Red
Planet look 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 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 he 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 reac
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. Share this!
No one alive today will ever see this again. :shock: :shock: 8)[/b]
Never again in our lifetime will the Red
Planet look 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 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 he 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 reac
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. Share this!
No one alive today will ever see this again. :shock: :shock: 8)[/b]
:roll:
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