Mars Spectacular!

**peat moss** · 07-21-2005, 12:36 AM

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

Thats a creepy feeling !

**Everose** · 07-21-2005, 01:38 AM

60,000 more years until this happens again. Thanks for the heads up on this, peat moss. I will remember and watch for it. Can you imagine what they worried was happening when this happened five thousand years ago?

How many generations are in 60,000 years? I cannot imagine.

I guess it would depend on whether you are figuring generations from male or female lineage.

I think about two thousand generations will work. Easy math that way.

**Smith** · 07-21-2005, 01:51 AM

Chances are the world will destroy itself before our childrens children(100 times over) gets to see this.

**Everose** · 07-21-2005, 01:55 AM

Well, Canuk, you are right. Game of chance and wonder, it seems.

I guess we best make the most of and enjoy every day we have. I am doing my part.

**shanu** · 07-21-2005, 03:36 AM

Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.

ummm, i doubt it

it will appear brighter & larger around this time, but nowhere near that big.
it's been getting noticably brighter for a few weeks now, fairly easy to find as it's rising away from the milky way in a relatively dark area of sky.
comes up here about 11pm-ish at the moment.
at dusk here we can see venus & saturn in the northwestern sky
with jupiter nearly straight overhead.

**peat moss** · 07-21-2005, 03:38 AM

Originally Posted by shanu

Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.

ummm, i doubt it

it will appear brighter & larger around this time, but nowhere near that big.
it's been getting noticably brighter for a few weeks now, fairly easy to find as it's rising away from the milky way in a relatively dark area of sky.
comes up here about 11pm-ish at the moment.
at dusk here we can see venus & saturn in the northwestern sky
with jupiter nearly straight overhead.

Ya and I can see Uranus clearly tonite too !

**Barbarossa** · 07-21-2005, 08:54 AM

Originally Posted by shanu

Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.

ummm, i doubt it

it will appear brighter & larger around this time, but nowhere near that big.
it's been getting noticably brighter for a few weeks now, fairly easy to find as it's rising away from the milky way in a relatively dark area of sky.
comes up here about 11pm-ish at the moment.
at dusk here we can see venus & saturn in the northwestern sky
with jupiter nearly straight overhead.

I think the original post had strange paragraph breakage...

Originally Posted by peat moss

At a modest 75-power magnification

Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye

That makes more sense!