Mars set to pass very close to earth next month.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

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

[liontamer]

1. thanks!

[Radio_Lady]

11. That's what happens when people don't update their web sites!

Sorry you had to get caught in the crunch, Yellow Rubber Duckie.

It happened to me, too, a few months ago on another item that was emailed to me.



Have a good weekend!

[Guava Jelly]

2. thats cool great info

thanks for sharing it :)

[deucemagnet]

3. I'm afraid this is an email hoax.

http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp

Sorry to be the party-pooper. :shrug:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

4. DAMN!

That sucks! Well, I suck. Thanks for letting me know.
Duckie

[ZombieNixon]

5. Yeah, sorry.

Mars did reach its perigee position around next month two years ago (or so, I'd have to ask my Dad to be sure), and the e-mail has been circulating ever since. :shrug:

[YellowRubberDuckie]

6. I remember that....

I was lucky enough to be in summer school astronomy at that time! It was AWESOME
Duckie

[ZombieNixon]

7. This hoax actually garnered its own article in our local paper last year.

Not the hoax itself, but the events described got treated as a real story even though the info was a year old. My dad's a professional astronomer, so he wrote a nasty little "check your facts" letter to the editor. :rofl:

[Oeditpus Rex]

9. I'd imagine that was an AP or other wire story

And most local editors assume the wires are always right. :eyes:

[democracyindanger]

8. Y'all thought Burroughs was kidding?

Ming's gonna kick all our asses.

[UTUSN]

10. That means WAR? n/t

[Generic Brad]

12. Isn't this the third year in a row?

Either this is an internet hoax or the red planet keeps inching ever closer towards our orbit year after year. My money is on hoax.

[Generic Brad]

13. Self Delete

Hit enter once and the thing posts twice. I wonder if Mars has something to do with this?