Planet Mars is yours to watch

Paddyjack · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 12:16 pm Post subject: Planet Mars is yours to watch

Talk about a once in a lifetime opportunity!

>
>
>Never again in your (or my) 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. 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 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.
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PJ --- ancient IDIOT with a rusty CROWBAR....
but still SWINGING!

Rock2..... JUST SAY NO!!!!!

Fred Astaire · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 1:03 pm Post subject:

Paddyjack · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 1:05 pm Post subject:

Hamese · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 1:27 pm Post subject:

I didn't find it that confusing.... then agian I will just have to dust off my 5mm, 18mm, and 26mm lenses. Then set them up with my 2x barlow. Which can give me a magnifacation from anywhere between 150-500x.

Cant wait, thanks for the info.

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[NoClan]Lunt · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 1:43 pm Post subject:

I cant get any knife kills against you Paddy on mars....but I can get a few knife kills on uranus

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DON'T HUNT WHAT YOU CAN'T KILL......

Paddyjack · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 1:44 pm Post subject:

ROOFCUTTER · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 6:16 pm Post subject:

I think I can see it better...using NASA pictures. It would have to come alot closer than that to beat that.

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Ragnarok · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 6:21 pm Post subject:

wow... sounds great... i better steal me bro's telescope..... i think this would also be a great opportunity for NASA to launch some kind of Mars mission..... Are they doing so?

Violent Pacifist · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 6:29 pm Post subject:

lol, there's still the matter that travelling to mars takes a couple of months, not to mention that mars's weather can be a bit hazerdous. Also, NASA would probably need some billion dollars to pay for the trip. So......probably no

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Ragnarok · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 6:30 pm Post subject:

But in addition to multiple landers increasing the chances for success, the primary reason for the summer flurry of missions is a unique close approach between Earth and Mars. Mars is approaching Earth in what will soon be the closest the planets have been in 73,000 years -- a confluence set officially for 5:46 AM, Wednesday, August 27, 2003. That night, the Red Planet will be the brightest object in the sky as it reaches its closest Earth encounter, or opposition, at 34,646,418 miles.

[img]http://www.astrobio.net/articles/images/mars4_banner.jpg[img]

Mars Opposition, Summer 2003. While Mars and Earth will be closest at the end of August, the complex orbital paths required to land on the Red Planet make early summer launches optimal. Credit: NASA

At opposition Mars will be as close as it has been since September 12, 57,537 B.C. or one-third closer than the average opposition. The next approach this close is August 28, 2287 A.D at 34,620,000 miles.

sgt stutter · Posted: Thu Jul 31, 2003 9:08 pm Post subject:

Thanks Paddy

CLICK---> Mars Info

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R.I.P Trigger Happy

Paddyjack · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 8:44 am Post subject:

Mr.Kason Allen · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 9:07 am Post subject:

Mars sucks

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Over your dead body!

sharkbyte · Posted: Fri Aug 01, 2003 1:05 pm Post subject:

JohnCarterofMars · Registered User Joined: 12 Aug 2001 Posts: 1113