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CStoner [12]
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Posted: 06.08.2003, 13:09
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MARK WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27th ON YOUR CALENDAR!!
MARS WILL APPEAR AS BIG AS THE MOON!
FIRST TIME IN AT LEAST 5,000 YEARS!
Never again in your lifetime will the Red Planet be so spectacular!
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.
On August 27, Mars will come 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 the
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.
Share with your friends, children and grandchildren. No one alive today
will ever see this again!
Cheryl Fenrich Stoner
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BStoner [19]
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Posted: 06.08.2003, 15:11
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registered: Jun. 2002
Posts: 104
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last visit: 30.04.08
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where did you find the article?
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BStoner [25]
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Posted: 06.08.2003, 15:12
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registered: Jun. 2002
Posts: 104
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last visit: 30.04.08
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nevermind!
http://www.msnbc.com/news/947131.asp?cp1=1
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BStoner [31]
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Posted: 06.08.2003, 15:13
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registered: Jun. 2002
Posts: 104
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last visit: 30.04.08
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FOR MONTHS VISIBLE only during morning hours, the Red Planet began August rising around 9:45 or 10 p.m. local daylight time and peeks above the horizon about four minutes earlier each night. Mars is now the third-brightest object in the nighttime sky, after the moon and Venus. To the unaided eye, Mars is by far the brightest “star” in the late-evening sky. Venus is currently too near the sun to be visible.
Astronomers measure brightness of stars and planets on a scale in which smaller numbers represent brighter objects. Already dazzling, Mars attains unusual brilliance this month, reaching magnitude -2.9 on Aug. 22 and staying that bright through Sept. 3. Venus can reach magnitude -4.0 or brighter.
Anyone who has a telescope, no matter how modest it is, will probably want to find out what it can do with Mars. So what’s to be seen?
As the month progresses, the south polar cap — visible now to moderate-sized backyard telescopes — will be melting and shrinking down to a tiny white speck. The largest dark markings on the planet should be fairly easy to see in almost any telescope at 100-power and up, but finer details are notoriously difficult to spot.
Serious observers are keeping their fingers crossed that a major dust storm does not develop as Mars’ closest approach to the Earth draws nearer. The last time Mars passed relatively close to Earth (though not this close), in June 2001, a planetwide dust storm veiled most surface features for months.
Earth and Mars are nearer than normal because they’re lining up on the same side of the sun. A case of orbital fate, due to the fact that the planet’s orbits are not quite circular, has made special what would otherwise be a normal “opposition” event: Earth will be almost as far as it ever gets from the sun, and Mars will be about as close to the sun as it can be.
Mars comes closest to the Earth on the morning of Aug. 27 at 5:51 a.m. ET. The planet is then 34,646,418 miles (55,758,006 kilometers) from Earth, measured from center to center. This is closer to Earth than Mars has been in nearly 60,000 years, and Mars won’t come as close again until the year 2287.
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BStoner [37]
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Posted: 07.08.2003, 16:45
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registered: Jun. 2002
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last visit: 30.04.08
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more information:
http://www.celestron.com/mars/index.htm
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CStoner [43]
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Posted: 08.08.2003, 00:09
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registered: Jun. 2002
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last visit: 19.12.08
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Thanks for posting the additional information Brad... I hope we can see the polar ice caps on Mars with your telescope! Where are we going to view it? :?:
Cheryl Fenrich Stoner
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BStoner [50]
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Posted: 08.08.2003, 12:22
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registered: Jun. 2002
Posts: 104
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last visit: 30.04.08
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did you get the model information off the telescope?
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ColleenLoweFenrich [56]
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Posted: 12.08.2003, 11:17
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registered: Jun. 2002
Posts: 95
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last visit: 28.10.08
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Hi Brad,
We have been looking for some sign of Mars in our Eastern sky, but have not seen it yet. Although the best time will be late in August, it should be appearing in our southern sky soon. I'll let you know if we see anything.
Love,
Nana
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ColleenLoweFenrich [61]
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Posted: 14.08.2003, 12:11
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registered: Jun. 2002
Posts: 95
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last visit: 28.10.08
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We viewed Mars last night. Very bright in the Eastern sky around 10:00p.m. It wasn't as large as I thought it would be, but will appear larger every evening until end of August.
Anyone else seen it?
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CStoner [66]
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Posted: 15.08.2003, 13:06
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registered: Jun. 2002
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last visit: 19.12.08
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Yes! We have been watching it every evening. It's a bit larger in the night sky than Venus (#2 brightest object, next to the Moon) and can't wait until we set up Brad's telescope later this month. Have you tried viewing Mars with your binoculars? :shock:
Cheryl Fenrich Stoner
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ColleenLoweFenrich [73]
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Posted: 15.08.2003, 13:24
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registered: Jun. 2002
Posts: 95
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last visit: 28.10.08
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We have not looked at Mars with our binoculars yet. Good idea though, will try it this evening. We saw "Seabiscut" yesterday and highly recommend it. A movie of substance and style.
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