Science Abuse Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 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. Share this with your children and grandchildren. NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN Neato Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
suffocateXfaster1647545505 Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 I'm looking forward to this. Sounds damn cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nurkvinny Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Not so much. Sorry. http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_mars_encounter.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp Eric FTL... again... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinner Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 very cool. hopefully it won't be as big of a letdown has halley's coment Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Beware the Mars Hoax 7.07.2005 Earth and Mars are converging for a close encounter--but not as close as some people think. + Play Audio | + Download Audio | + Historia en Español | + Email to a friend | + Join mailing list July 7, 2005: Just when you thought it was safe to read your email.... There's a rumor about Mars going around the internet. Here are some snippets from a widely-circulated email message: "The Red Planet is about to be spectacular." "Earth is catching up with Mars [for] the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history." "On August 27th … Mars will look as large as the full moon." And finally, "NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN." Only the first sentence is true. The Red Planet is about to be spectacular. The rest is a hoax. Here are the facts: Earth and Mars are converging for a close encounter this year on October 30th at 0319 Universal Time. Distance: 69 million kilometers. To the unaided eye, Mars will look like a bright red star, a pinprick of light, certainly not as wide as the full Moon. Sign up for EXPRESS SCIENCE NEWS delivery Disappointed? Don't be. If Mars did come close enough to rival the Moon, its gravity would alter Earth's orbit and raise terrible tides. Sixty-nine million km is good. At that distance, Mars shines brighter than anything else in the sky except the Sun, the Moon and Venus. The visual magnitude of Mars on Oct. 30, 2005, will be -2.3. Even inattentive sky watchers will notice it, rising at sundown and soaring overhead at midnight. You might remember another encounter with Mars, about two years ago, on August 27, 2003. That was the closest in recorded history, by a whisker, and millions of people watched as the distance between Mars and Earth shrunk to 56 million km. This October's encounter, at 69 million km, is similar. To casual observers, Mars will seem about as bright and beautiful in 2005 as it was in 2003. Although closest approach is still months away, Mars is already conspicuous in the early morning. Before the sun comes up, it's the brightest object in the eastern sky, really eye-catching. If you have a telescope, even a small one, point it at Mars. You can see the bright icy South Polar Cap and strange dark markings on the planet's surface. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/07jul_marshoax.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragknee66 Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 that would be cool to see if it was real Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
speedline Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 yeah if mars got that close it could be real ugly. but i still cant wait to see this. good find Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Science Abuse Posted July 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Dont be mean ben, I didn't write the shit. Fuck sake, I try to spread some joy and the white man slaps me down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinner Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 what did the 5 fingers say the the face?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Dont be mean ben, I didn't write the shit. Fuck sake, I try to spread some joy and the white man slaps me down. Ahahaha!!!!!! You know you would've put the smack down on me just as hard if the positions were switched. Oooo... All this talk about smacking and positions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Pomade Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Hmmm, Ben edited his earlier post. I wonder why. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Hmmm, Ben edited his earlier post. I wonder why. I can't tell you the true answer to this. Sorry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Pomade Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 I can't tell you the true answer to this. Sorry. Maybe I already know the answer. So don't be sorry. I still heart you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Maybe I already know the answer. So don't be sorry. I still heart you. Awh, I heart you too baby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinner Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 get a room you two Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Pomade Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Threesome? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Pomade Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Threesome? http://homepage.mac.com/coastlineusa/ewok.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinner Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Threesome? no thanks you can find someone else for you man sandwich LMAO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casper Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Gotta be careful hitting that shit Johnny Bravo. Make sure to wrap it. You might end up with one of these: http://www.roger-one.net/pix/Galeries/pix6/part1/bebe_ewok.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedRocket1647545505 Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 http://homepage.mac.com/coastlineusa/ewok.jpg LOL @ the poster on the wall. :woowoo: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Skinner Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 Gotta be careful hitting that shit Johnny Bravo. Make sure to wrap it. You might end up with one of these: http://www.roger-one.net/pix/Galeries/pix6/part1/bebe_ewok.jpg I'll give you 3 or more. I'm so fretile I can stand next to a girl and get her pregent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractor Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 lol why do people keep running that same stupid story around the internet? Mars was as close as its gonna get for 60K years in 2003. Now that was a nice year to view mars. won't be any more like it in our lives. I spent nearly every evening out with my telescope at hoover resourvor looking at it and letting boaters take a look. Evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
morabu Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 too bad it's B/S i didn't catch it in 2003 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cougar1647545494 Posted July 14, 2006 Report Share Posted July 14, 2006 I remember that... half ass looked at it through our decent telescope. Stars are pretty cool, too bad they're almost unidentifiable in the middle of Columbus. You need to head out to the boonies to really enjoy the view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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