Mars

[WhiteRaven]

Not sure where to put this...so if I'm wrong I'm sorry...this is quite interesting though...I received this through email.

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.

 

[Lynda]

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. T.

Hi WhiteRaven
No, that's not true, although Mars will be quite amazing in the sky.

This is what Philip Sedgwick (THE Galactic Astrologer) says:

"Mars is coming as close to the Sun as it gets in its two-year orbit (perihelion). However, for Mars to be as close to the Earth as those outdated e-mails claim, it must be retrograding through an opposition to our planet and at perihelion in the same time. Mars retrogrades later this year but not aligned with the perihelion."

This, from his Star Blogs at http://www.philipsedgwick.com

There's a lot of this false information about Mars around the place.

However, there will be some interesting things to observe when Mars goes retrograde in October (the 2nd) - Venus will be exactly opposite Mars and they'll be in mutual reception to each other... Mars in Taurus opposing Venus in Scorpio - it will be interesting to observe the effects.

Later, on December 25 - when Venus goes retrograde, this time Venus is square Mars on that day (although not an exact square)... so, Venus and Mars have got some sorting out to do. Interesting that Venus is going retrograde on Christmas day, as well!

It's also interesting that Venus is today at 23 Leo, exactly squaring the Venus-Mars opposition of October.

Hope this makes sense!

Greetings from DownUnder
Lynda

 

[WhiteRaven]

Thanks for the clarification Lynda

 

[Minderwiz]

Thanks Lynda,

I think WhiteRaven's report relates to the Perihelion of 30th August 2003, which was the closest Mars has come in over 300 years. There will be a nearer one but not till 2039.

Can I also point out one other misleading statement in the report on Mars quoted by WhiteRaven. Mars will not appear as large as a full Moon to the naked eye, or indeed anywhere near it - Mars will simply be noticeably brighter than normal when at or near perihelion.

 

[WhiteRaven]

Thanks Lynda,

I think WhiteRaven's report relates to the Perihelion of 30th August 2003, which was the closest Mars has come in over 300 years. There will be a nearer one but not till 2039.

Can I also point out one other misleading statement in the report on Mars quoted by WhiteRaven. Mars will not appear as large as a full Moon to the naked eye, or indeed anywhere near it - Mars will simply be noticeably brighter than normal when at or near perihelion.

Well...I've learnt a lesson here...LOL...not to believe everything you get from emails...even if you do know the person well!!!

Thanks again!

 

[Minderwiz]

LOL

It occured to me after I posted that for Mars to look as large as the Moon (approx one quarter the size of Earth/Mars) it would have to be about 16 times as far away - or approximately 4 million miles - at that distance the end of Civilisation as we know it would be imminent!

(With no apologies to War of the Worlds )