Have you seen Mars?

[furluvcats]

We took the kids to a S.P.A.R. "Star" party lastnight....in hopes of seeing Mars up close and personal...(I wanted to see its Southern, or Northern polar caps)...anyway...we were first in line early on, and saw a hazy befuzzled Mars,(it hadn't risen high in the sky yet) through this huge telescope thingy...which was pretty cool, and then cloud cover came in, and we waited and waited....for 3 hours, in line, in one place, and the clouds never cleared...too bad, we were bummed...we did make it on two TV news stations though, and that was worth the price of admission to the kids .

Has anyone else been able to see Mars through a telescope, or been privvy to any "star parties"??

[StormCrazyIowan]

Well, I heard on the news one night that it would be easily viewable, and I happened to be driving that night and I saw it as a verrrry bright star, but I didn't have a telescope to get a better look. It was still pretty neat though!

[streetsoldier]

No telescope, but I have been watching Mars for the last three weeks...just as I did Jupiter in '89, when it came closest to Terra (and won't be that close in another 370 years). Ditto Halley's Comet (a disappointment) and Hale-Bopp (spectacular!)

Jupiter was "presented" late at night to my stepsons, who were just little guys at the time; I "shared" Mars with coppertop, and he wrote a paper about the experience for his Science class last week.

I LOVE sharing what I've learned with young people...the light in their eyes as they are "introduced" to something "new" is priceless, and I miss being able to teach.

[furluvcats]

Bill, the astronomers that were out lastnight, at the star party, were such a wealth ok knowledge to the kids....both kids were first in line at seperate telescopes, so they each learned alot of interesting things from seperate astronomers! We wrote a paper on the experience in class as well. Astronomers have ALOT to say about their passion....can you imagine standing 3 hours with one, pumped up on an adrenaline high, waiting to share Mars with us common folk? So, even tho we never got a clear shot at Mars lastnight, we learned alot! We caught the planetarium show as well...lots of neat stories there, for sure!

[azsnowman]

Nope......too many clouds! I wouldn't have minded the cloud cover from Ignasio so much "IF" it would ONLY rain.....seems such a waste, complete cloud cover and no rain!

Dennis

[GalvestonDuck]

...and Hale-Bopp (spectacular!)

I hate to say it...but I think Hale-Bopp will be remember for something other than being a spectacular sight to see. Remember Heaven's Gate?

[Miss Mary]

Yes we've seen Mars several evenings now. Very impressive. With binocs only so far. We do have a telescope but it's quite difficult to operate. Since we get up so dang early now, we can never remember to set up the telescope after dinner. Before we know it, it's after 9 and we all retire before 10 now. You'd think we'd remember. Too much going on right now, LOL. Back to school homework, etc. I will try to make this a priority tonight. Trick is to get the telescope out of storage.....that's a step in the right direction.

[David]

I've seen it, but it doesn't seem red to me. :?

[blizzard]

Watching it every night with my daughter, that is if I am not working. When I work, she still goes out and looks at it.

[Pro-Storm]

Yep....I have been seeing it every morning on my way to work. And it appears orange to me. (that probably makes the clemson fans happy)

[azskyman]

See Mars in the SW sky when I head out to pick up the Republic from the driveway each morning these days. I say hello....to which it becomes embarrassed and turns red right there in the night sky!

[Stephanie]

I haven't seen it yet. Is it still close to the moon? I thought that today (8/27) was also supposed to be the best night to see Mars.

It's too cloudy tonight for us anyhow.

Furry - why was your cruise on the Norway cancelled?

[coriolis]

OK, I just went out on the front porch and saw it. It appeared reddish.
Southeast sky, right?

If we are going to be invaded by martians, this is the time!

[JetMaxx]

A couple nights ago, my elderly grandmother woke me up at 3:45 a.m. after she saw a "real bright star that looked funny" It was Mars....and it was definitely bright.

[furluvcats]

Cloudy here again tonight...darn it...
Steph, the Norway is the ship that had a fatal explosion aboard it a couple months back....she's been sent to Germany for repairs and isn't due back in service til sometime in 2004....figures, just my luck.

[JCT777]

I saw Mars in the sky late last week. Very nice!

[azsnowman]

I finally saw it last night and this morning, I don't have a telescope, I do however have a pair of binoculars, got to see the polar ice cap......VERY KEWL!!!

Dennis

[pojo]

Yup, have been viewing Mars whenever I get a chance to look in the SE sky. Its the brightest star in the sky.

[TexasStooge]

Didn't get to see it because of the storm we had here, my mom & I did have a good time at the Mars viewing party, we had red cheese, red popcorn, red chip dips, red gelatin, red hot chee-tos, what else did I have red?

[bfez1]

awesome to see it!