I received this in my email, and figured I'd post it up:
Never again in your lifetime will the Red Planet be so spectacular.
During July and August, Earth is catching up with Mars, an encounter
culminating 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 effects 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.
Mars will look similar as the full moon to the naked eye at a
modest 75-power magnification and will be easy to see.
At the beginning of August, Mars will rise in the east at 10:00 PM
and reach its azimuth at about 3:00 AM. 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 12:30 AM.
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 throughout
the month.
Share with your children,grandchildren and friends. No one alive today
will ever
see this again. |
