I’ve received the following email message from many different people (thanks by the way):
“This month and next 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 objectin 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 he naked eye.
Mars will be easy to spot. At the beginning of August Mars will rise in the east at 10 p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m.
But 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 a.m.
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 and brighter throughout the month.
Share this! No one alive today will ever see this again.”
I thought at first it was a hoax when I got it three weeks ago, but when we were in the Shuswap with Leslie and Ron I could plainly see Mars very brightly the first night we were there. Again, last night when traveling back on the Albion Ferry from Langley there it was again, due East, brighter still. I thought I’d check around for links to verify this info and found one at the NASA site, a link at Space.com and one at the Discovery Network Canada site. I guess it is going to get closer.
In the words of Jack Horkheimer, the Star Gazer, “Keep looking up!” Here’s a REAL media link to Jack excitedly babbling about this summer’s Mars encounter. I just love this guy.
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