uday
August 14th, 2003, 01:49 PM
It's going to be a rare sight so remember - don't miss the
opportunity to view 2 moons in the sky -> 27 AUGUST 2003.
Never again in your lifetime will the Red Planet be so
spectacular!This month and next month the 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 the naked eye. Mars will be easy to spot. At the
beginning of August, Mars 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 when it comes to seeing
something that no human has seen in recorded history. So mark your
calendar of August to see Mars grows progressively brighter and
brighter throughout the month.
opportunity to view 2 moons in the sky -> 27 AUGUST 2003.
Never again in your lifetime will the Red Planet be so
spectacular!This month and next month the 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 the naked eye. Mars will be easy to spot. At the
beginning of August, Mars 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 when it comes to seeing
something that no human has seen in recorded history. So mark your
calendar of August to see Mars grows progressively brighter and
brighter throughout the month.