Fw: Mars Closest Ever

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Mark your Calendar, this is a once in a lifetime Event!!! Never again in our

lifetime will the Red Planet be so spectacular.This month and next, Earth is

catching up with Mars, an encounter thatwill culminate in the closest approach

between the two planets inrecorded history. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity

tugs on Mars andperturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars

has notcome this close to Earth in the last 5,000 years but it may be as longas

60,000 years.The encounter will culminate on August 27th when Mars comes to

within34,649,589 miles and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object inthe

night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11arc seconds

wide. At a modest 75-power magnification Mars will look aslarge as the full moon

to the naked eye.Mars will be easy to spot. At the beginning of August Mars will

rise inthe east at 10 p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m. But by the

endof August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfalland

reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30 a.m.So mark your calendar at the

beginning of August to see Mars growprogressively brighter and brighter

throughout the month. Share thisknowledge with everyone and especially the

children. No one alivetoday will see this again.

 

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Mars Closest Ever

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Mark your Calendar, this is a once in a lifetime Event!!!

 

 

 

Never again in our lifetime will the Red Planet be so spectacular.

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. 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 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.

So mark your calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars grow

progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month. Share this

knowledge with everyone and especially the children. No one alive

today will see this again.