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.



Does anyone know about this. I got this in an email from a freind of mine
from Japan.




--
Gavin Staples.

Horseheath. Cambridge, UK. 93m ASL.
House to Let. For details see on my website.
www.gavinstaples.com
All outgoing emails are checked for viruses by Norton Internet Security
2005.

"Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute". ~Josh Billings

http://space.about.com/od/astronomyn...lose2005_2.htm

On Sun, 24 Jul 2005 09:24:44 +0100, "Gavin Staples"
wrote:

Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.



Does anyone know about this. I got this in an email from a freind of mine
from Japan.

Wrong news group.

Try news:uk.sci.astronomy.

--
Alan White
Twenty-eight miles NW of Glasgow, overlooking Loch Goil and Loch Long in Argyll, Scotland.
Web cam and weather:- http://www.windycroft.gt-britain.co....her/kabcam.htm
Some walks and treks:- http://www.windycroft.gt-britain.co.uk/walks/index.html

"Trevor Appleton" wrote in message
...
http://space.about.com/od/astronomyn...lose2005_2.htm

Thanks Trevor

Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.

Absolute nonsense!

It will appear as nothing more than a very bright, pinkish star to the naked
eye.
__________________
Nick G
Thorverton, Exe Valley, Devon
50 m amsl

"Gavin Staples" wrote in message
...
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.



Does anyone know about this. I got this in an email from a freind of mine
from Japan.




--
Gavin Staples.

Horseheath. Cambridge, UK. 93m ASL.
House to Let. For details see on my website.
www.gavinstaples.com
All outgoing emails are checked for viruses by Norton Internet Security
2005.

"Silence is one of the hardest arguments to refute". ~Josh Billings

"Nick G" wrote in message
...
Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.

Absolute nonsense!

It will appear as nothing more than a very bright, pinkish star to the
naked eye.
__________________
Nick G
Thorverton, Exe Valley, Devon
50 m amsl

Thanks for your comments Nick :-) I have checked this up since Trevor sent
me a URL on this. It seems that it is one of those rumour emails:-( They
annoy me they do. I have emailed the URL to the friend of mine who sent it
to me. I think she sent it in good faith with all due respect.
If I hear anything else on this I may make a point of looking. As its in
November, the chances of a clear sky are pretty remote as we all know. In
this country the number of clear nights in November are low.

Gavin.

"Gavin Staples" wrote in message
...
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.



Does anyone know about this. I got this in an email from a freind of mine
from Japan.


Gavin

Your friend is uttering a load of nonsense. In any case, the correct
details of the forthcoming apparition of Mars have been known for centuries.

But as Alan has correctly pointed out, wrong ng.

Regards, Roger

On Sun, 24 Jul 2005 10:38:51 GMT, "Roger Smith"
wrote:

But as Alan has correctly pointed out, wrong ng.

I don't think that Gavin understands that concept ;-)

--
Alan White
Twenty-eight miles NW of Glasgow, overlooking Loch Goil and Loch Long in Argyll, Scotland.
Web cam and weather:- http://www.windycroft.gt-britain.co....her/kabcam.htm
Some walks and treks:- http://www.windycroft.gt-britain.co.uk/walks/index.html

Gavin Staples wrote:

Thanks for your comments Nick :-) I have checked this up since Trevor sent
me a URL on this. It seems that it is one of those rumour emails:-( They
annoy me they do.

But not half as much as they annoy everyone else on this newsgroup, I bet.
--
Steve Loft, Wanlockhead, Dumfriesshire. 1417ft ASL
Weather and webcam: http://www.wanlockhead.org.uk/

Alan White wrote:
On Sun, 24 Jul 2005 10:38:51 GMT, "Roger Smith"
wrote:

But as Alan has correctly pointed out, wrong ng.

I don't think that Gavin understands that concept ;-)

--
Alan White
Twenty-eight miles NW of Glasgow, overlooking Loch Goil and Loch Long in Argyll, Scotland.
Web cam and weather:- http://www.windycroft.gt-britain.co....her/kabcam.htm
Some walks and treks:- http://www.windycroft.gt-britain.co.uk/walks/index.html

Nasty, snipey lot here, it seems. There have been quite a number
of posts over the years relating to the visibility of the moon and
planets. It does depend on the weather, after all.

Tudor Hughes, Warlingham, Surrey.