Pete Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Since this won't happen again for between 5,000 and 60,000 years...might be worth a look now. I'm sure some of you already know and are watching for this phenomenon, but if you aren't? - here's your chance. Mars The Red Planet is about to be spectacular! This month the 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. NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN ! ____________________________________________________ Gotta get the ol tele out of the closet for this, and maybe the camera too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The 12th Commandment Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Sorry Pete, we got caught by this one at work today too. http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp Status: Multiple: Mars passed extraordinarily close to Earth in August 2003: True. Mars will pass extraordinarily close to Earth in August 2006: False. Example (Notice that you can't see mars) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CurseReversed Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 That might be false information. I read on space.com that the emails circulating about this event are not true. I think it was said that the closest it came was in 2003, unfortunately I was unable to find this article for reference, but I am pretty sure I can find something. edit I found one http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp 2nd edit:laugh: jinx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOF44 Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Cool that will make for some nice viewing leaving the skins preseason games Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visionary Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Cool that will make for some nice viewing leaving the skins preseason games Keep reading... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 Sure, go ahead and wizz in my popcorn............... :laugh: I remember hearing something on the radio a few weeks back about viewing mars this August on the radio. I guess it was bogus.......... OH well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Raub Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Uranus is always available for viewing in any mirror. Someone had to say it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teller Posted July 28, 2006 Share Posted July 28, 2006 Sure, go ahead and wizz in my popcorn............... :laugh: I remember hearing something on the radio a few weeks back about viewing mars this August on the radio. I guess it was bogus.......... OH well Hmm...Guess it's time to retract somebody's tribute thread. :laugh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted July 28, 2006 Author Share Posted July 28, 2006 Uranus is always available for viewing in any mirror. Someone had to say it :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: I knew somebody would, but my belly is to big, so I can't bend over that far :doh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PCS Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Er.... Pete knew that. He was er..... joking. Yeah that's it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ashburnskinsfan Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Mars was in the night sky earlier in the year but we won't see it again until the end of 2007. In 2003 it wasn't very big, just like a bright orange star. Even in a high powered telescope it looked like small ball. If you look low in the sky South South West at the moment you can see Jupiter, but after that sets there won't be a bright planet in the sky for sometime. There's an interactive Sky Chart available on the home page of www.skypub.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan T. Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Sorry you got fooled, Pete. 2003 was pretty cool. We were on the Outer Banks that August, and the lack of ground light on that spit of land makes sky watching a treat. Mars was unmistakeable in the night sky, a red/orange spot larger than any other object in the sky other than the moon. It was a weeklong companion, hanging above us and keeping watch over our night partying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G-Prime Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: I knew somebody would, but my belly is to big, so I can't bend over that far :doh: So you can't see Uranus with the naked eye? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 I've heard there are Klingons on Uranus :doh: :doh: :doh: .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHUBAKAH Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Uranus, Isn't that where the first dingleberry fruit was first thought to come from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfitzo53 Posted July 29, 2006 Share Posted July 29, 2006 Sure, go ahead and wizz in my popcorn............... Too bad hog didn't have that one to work with in your tribute thread. Congrats btw, and thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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