 Did you get an email about Mars lately? Did it read something like this?
The Red Planet is about to be spectacular! This month and next, Earth is
catching up with Mars in 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 before it happens again. The encounter will culminate on
August 27th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth 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 it will
rise in the east at 10p.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 12:30a.m. That's pretty
convenient to see something that no human being 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
with your children and grandchildren.
NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN.
Well at least that last line is absolutely true. That is because this event happened back in August 2003! But since people like to blindly forward emails you can rest assured that every year around August this letter will be circulated!
To learn more about Mars and other heavenly bodies visit KC AstroNews!
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