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CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH MARS
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 he 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.
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Close encounter with Mars
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- vbhoutex
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Close encounter with Mars
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the South Polar Cap on Mars is very evident and the atmosphere is clear so the dark markings can be easily seen with power. Actually, Venus is always brighter than Mars and Jupiter usually so though not right now and Venus is not in the night sky. One possible problem is that there is a good chance for a Global dust storm on Mars around the time of closest approach so that could spoil the view. Venus makes news next with the Transit of Venus across the disk of the Sun-the first one since 1882.
Steve
Steve
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- streetsoldier
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- streetsoldier
- Retired Staff
- Posts: 9705
- Joined: Wed Feb 05, 2003 11:33 pm
- Location: Under the rainbow
Oh, yeah, that's right! I only saw him on Sunday nights after watching "Dr. WHO", back in the late 80's...
BTW, Mars is already "strutting its stuff"; 15 minutes ago, I had to take Annabelle (she be a ho') out on her morning "constitutional", and THAR SHE BLOWS...not just the brightest heavenly object, it was the ONLY one visible here, at about 70 degrees from the southern horizon! Red and blinking wildly through the haze above, it is unfortunate that I don't have a long-range telescope...
BTW, Mars is already "strutting its stuff"; 15 minutes ago, I had to take Annabelle (she be a ho') out on her morning "constitutional", and THAR SHE BLOWS...not just the brightest heavenly object, it was the ONLY one visible here, at about 70 degrees from the southern horizon! Red and blinking wildly through the haze above, it is unfortunate that I don't have a long-range telescope...

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