Aug 05 2005
Mars will be near Earth - MARK ON YOUR CALENDAR
MARS comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and will be (next to
the moon) the brightest object in the
night sky.
Starting in August, Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.
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.
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 Earth and Mars are closest, Mars will rise
at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30a.m.
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.
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. And be sure to watch the sky on August 27th. It
will look like the Earth has two moons!
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.
Share this with your children and grandchildren. NO ONE ALIVE TODAY
WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN.