Big777jet From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 1984 times:
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> A major event and I hope to be able to watch!
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> MARK AUGUST 27th ON YOUR CALENDAR
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> MARS WILL APPEAR AS BIG AS THE MOON!
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> FIRST TIME IN At LEAST 5,000 YEARS!
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> Never again in your lifetime will the Red Planet be so spectacular!
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> 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.
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> 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.
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> On August 27, Mars will come 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.
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> At the beginning of August, Mars will rise in the eastat 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.
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> So mark your calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars grow progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month.
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> Share with your friends, children and grandchildren. No one alive today will ever see this again!
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AA61hvy From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 13975 posts, RR: 59 Reply 1, posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 1 day 17 hours ago) and read 1939 times:
I will bust out the camera, it would be sweet if a plane flew in front of it
Positive rate From Australia, joined Sep 2001, 2143 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 1 day 14 hours ago) and read 1933 times:
> MARS WILL APPEAR AS BIG AS THE MOON!
That's actually not true. Mars won't be anywhere near as big as the moon simply because the moon is only 384,000 km's away and Mars is around 55,000,000 km's away- even at closest approach! The event is called opposition and will occur on August 27th. Mars is already the brightest "star" in the sky. Go outside a few hours after sunset and look towards the eastern horizon. You should spot what looks like a very bright red star. This bright red "star" is Mars. I look at it a couple of times a week with my telescope and the view is awesome. I can see both of the polar ice caps(they show up bright white) and some surface features on the planet.
Whatever you do DON'T MISS IT!!! This will be a once in a lifetime opportunity. Try to look at it through a telescope if you get the chance.
Positive rate From Australia, joined Sep 2001, 2143 posts, RR: 1 Reply 4, posted (9 years 9 months 3 weeks 1 day 11 hours ago) and read 1897 times:
Mars is actually red when viewed with the naked eye. At the moment it is bright red and you really can't miss it. It's brighter than the Red giant star Antares. Once you get the telescope out then the view becomes more orange.
A friend of mine who sent email me last night. I don't think it will not appear as big as moon. I thought that they meant expression imaginary. I think a little bigger than north Star about 1 time bigger size. I don't know wait and see how it looks like in Aug 27th.
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