Shoutbox

My friend just sent me this email:

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Subject: A Once In A Lifetime Event
Check it out, guess no one will sleep in August.
Mars


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

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Originally posted by Matty
Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.

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That'd be pretty big... I'll be sure to watch for it!... But I doubt it'll be as large as the moon.

that is not true , it says it is going to happen again until 22something and then it says it will not happen in 60,000 years... WTF!
mars is visible to naked eye where i live, its a dull read spot, about same size as any bright star , it is visible! , but its imposible to be as big as the moon , that would mean mars is very close to earth , which it is not , and will not be. IT WILL LOOK LIKE A VERY BRIGHT STAR, but to see it as big as the moon you need BINOCULARS. this is true, i researched.

never know nice I want to see this...as long as its true

ya you can see it its just a red looking star.

I rest my case: http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/space/08/13/mars.close.up.ap/index.html

They said wew wouldn't be able to see it in forever last time it was visible..

Still a cool thing to take the time to look at though.

yes its going to be seen a bright , soft red BUT NOT AS BIG AS THE MOON lol lol

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Originally posted by damm-o
that is not true , it says it is going to happen again until 22something and then it says it will not happen in 60,000 years... WTF!
mars is visible to naked eye where i live, its a dull read spot, about same size as any bright star , it is visible! , but its imposible to be as big as the moon , that would mean mars is very close to earth , which it is not , and will not be. IT WILL LOOK LIKE A VERY BRIGHT STAR, but to see it as big as the moon you need BINOCULARS. this is true, i researched.

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It is true, compared to the moon, Mars is massive, it wouldn't have to be that close, it is true. I was reading the BBC focus about this a few months ago.

yes but even though it will not look as big as the moon as the moon...