Close Encounter with Mars (mark your calendar)

[N8Magic]

I'm going to have to plan a trip up to the dark sky preserve up north.

The viewing should be spectacular from up there. It had better not be cloudy that day...

 

[clamum]

Originally posted by: Cfour
thats pretty cool... maybe I'll have to take a peek.

 

[Jgtdragon]

Time to take pics with the Canon A70. Time to use the zoom.

 

[aircooled]

Here is a great site for learning basic sky-views. I hear their 'snippet' on XM radio regularly, and have seen many great sky views based on their show.
I've seen alot of meteror showers and recently mars (next to the moon) from listening to their show on Xm radio. it comes on during comercial breaks.

 

[Siddhartha]

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
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.

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 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 children and grandchildren. No one alive today will ever see this again.
Link stolen from locked double post Thanks YamahaXS
second link THANKS to YamahaXS

I just read about this.... Very cool

I have a telescope. So I am going out somewhere dark and check out the red planet.

 

[paruhd0x]

Someone take some telescoped high res digital images please! I'd love a new wallpaper.

 

[PowerMacG5]

I've been watching it everyday so far, but I don't have a telescope .

 

[burnedout]

Definitely time to upgrade from my trusty old Steiner binos.

 

[sandorski]

Seen it quite a bit(naked eye). I'm really amazed how big it is! I've never seen Venus as clear.