TheGirlNextDoor
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Got this in an e-mail
Mars watching
Thought you might want to put this one on your calendar.
The planet Mars will pass unusually close to Earth during the summer of
2003.
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 family and friends. NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER
SEE
THIS AGAIN
~S
"A man's reputation is a blend of what his friends, enemies, and acquaintances say behind his back."
Mars watching
Thought you might want to put this one on your calendar.
The planet Mars will pass unusually close to Earth during the summer of
2003.
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 family and friends. NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER
SEE
THIS AGAIN
~S
"A man's reputation is a blend of what his friends, enemies, and acquaintances say behind his back."
