[SOC] Fw: Mars

[Paul Bartlett]

Binoculars cleaned and ready.

Paul :-)

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Bob N0UF" <n0uf@kc.rr.com>
To: "Second Class Op Club" <soc@mailman.qth.net>
Sent: Friday, August 08, 2003 1:32 PM
Subject: [SOC] Fw: Mars


> CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH MARS
> 
>  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 he 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 this!
> 
>  No one alive today will ever see this again.
> 
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