[Northkeep] Wonderful Mars!

[Anawyn at aol.com]

Here's some really awesome stuff for all you "sky freaks": check this out -
Position of Planet Mars in August. 
 

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 10 p.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 12:30 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 grows 
progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month. 
 
Share with your children and grandchildren. No one alive today will ever see 
this again.
A friend of mine shared this with me, so I am passing it along. Pretty awe 
inspiring!
Anawyn 


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