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.
NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN
Started by
Ichabod Crane
, Jun 01 2005 12:12 PM
22 replies to this topic
#1
Ichabod Crane
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Master
Posted 01 June 2005 - 12:12 PM
" CARPE DM: SEIZE THE DUNGEON MASTER."
"Next time you want to stab me in the back, have the guts to do it to my face."
-Capt. Malcolm Reynolds.
"Next time you want to stab me in the back, have the guts to do it to my face."
-Capt. Malcolm Reynolds.
#2
Orsino
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Godlike
Posted 01 June 2005 - 12:55 PM
I say attack now.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.
We cannot wait for the smoking gun to come in the form of an iron-oxide dust storm.
John
Sergeant John's 3-D Chiller House of Terror!
Under The Hill, a post-atomic fairy tale set in Georgia
Blood & Roses, a pseudo-historical fantasy campaign
"Statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities...and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys...."
-- Mark Twain, "Chronicle of Young Satan"
Sergeant John's 3-D Chiller House of Terror!
Under The Hill, a post-atomic fairy tale set in Georgia
Blood & Roses, a pseudo-historical fantasy campaign
"Statesmen will invent cheap lies, putting blame upon the nation that is attacked, and every man will be glad of those conscience-soothing falsities...and refuse to examine any refutations of them; and thus he will by and by convince himself that the war is just, and will thank God for the better sleep he enjoys...."
-- Mark Twain, "Chronicle of Young Satan"
#3
Aryanun
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Darth Bonk
Posted 01 June 2005 - 12:56 PM
Pull out your tinfoil hats before the Martians put us under their hypnotic mind control. 
Wielder of the original BONK! ™ Kheprera - main character on Freedom; global chat handle is @Kheprera - City of Heroes, give me a shout!
"If I fail, they write me off as another statistic. If I succeed, they pay me a million bucks to fly out to Hollywood and fart." --- George A. Romero
"Hulk bash Iron Man face!" --- my son, Thomas, at seeing Iron Man #19
"If I had any dignity, that would have been humiliating" --- Adam Savage from Mythbusters
#4
Nanite
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Nattering Nabob
Posted 01 June 2005 - 01:06 PM
Neat, thanks for the heads up.
I'll have to get a telescope and watch for green flashes on the surface too!
I'll have to get a telescope and watch for green flashes on the surface too!
Doing that blog thing at themanpurse.blogspot.com
Gallery of non-miniature but-still-nerdy painting: Monster Kolor Gallery
Gallery of non-miniature but-still-nerdy painting: Monster Kolor Gallery
#5
Cadaver
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Godlike
Posted 01 June 2005 - 01:28 PM
Stay away from Grovers Mill.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.
"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."
- C.S. Lewis
PETA is more violently opposed to fur than to leather because it's safer to harass rich women than it is to harass motorcycle gangs.
- C.S. Lewis
PETA is more violently opposed to fur than to leather because it's safer to harass rich women than it is to harass motorcycle gangs.
#6
Storminator
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Godlike
Posted 01 June 2005 - 02:14 PM
Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday to me,
Super closest to Mars,
Happy birthday to me!
PS
Happy birthday to me,
Super closest to Mars,
Happy birthday to me!
PS
Rolling bad is NOT a counter-strategy for rolling good!
Black Lightning #MA003
Black Lightning #MA003
#7
Spartan6
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Godlike
Posted 01 June 2005 - 02:37 PM
I couldn't agree more. The time for action is now! Before we start getting rained on by asteroids with screw tops!I say attack now.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.
We cannot wait for the smoking gun to come in the form of an iron-oxide dust storm.
And they could easily hide their invasion fleet in the Leonid meteor shower that happens each August. Hmmm..
Where's my tinfoil hat?
Chris
SPQT
PSYOPS.... Because physical wounds heal.
"...smells like wet dog in here to."
Crazy8
Black Lightning KS004
#8
Erion
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Paragon of Mediocrity
Posted 01 June 2005 - 02:46 PM
Oh Telescope
Oh Telescope
It is for this I bought ye.
Oh Telescope
Oh Telescope
To see the martian army
Come landing down at Grover's Mill
And all the humans try to kill
Oh Telescope
Oh Telescope
It is for this I bough ye.
Oh Telescope
It is for this I bought ye.
Oh Telescope
Oh Telescope
To see the martian army
Come landing down at Grover's Mill
And all the humans try to kill
Oh Telescope
Oh Telescope
It is for this I bough ye.
Providing A Public-Access Repository of Useless Knowledge since 1973.
A flaw in the human character is that everyone wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance."
--Kurt Vonnegut
"The greatest enemy of your creative powers is smug complacency -- being satisfied with less than what you are capable of doing." --Nido Qubein
A flaw in the human character is that everyone wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance."
--Kurt Vonnegut
"The greatest enemy of your creative powers is smug complacency -- being satisfied with less than what you are capable of doing." --Nido Qubein
#9
Kellyn
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Enlightened
Posted 01 June 2005 - 02:59 PM
That's weird. I remember standing in our front yard *last* August staring up at Mars because everyone yelled that "It'll never happen again for 60000 years!" or whatever. I had a really long conversation with our friend who's an astrophysicist about it last year. I'm gonna start not believing them if it's a major Marsian galactic phenomena every 12 months! *heh*
Jess
Jess
#10
Spartan6
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Godlike
Posted 01 June 2005 - 03:03 PM
I remember that too.. Maybe they're steering closer for a reason..HmmmmThat's weird. I remember standing in our front yard *last* August staring up at Mars because everyone yelled that "It'll never happen again for 60000 years!" or whatever. I had a really long conversation with our friend who's an astrophysicist about it last year. I'm gonna start not believing them if it's a major Marsian galactic phenomena every 12 months! *heh*
Jess
Chris
SPQT
PSYOPS.... Because physical wounds heal.
"...smells like wet dog in here to."
Crazy8
Black Lightning KS004
#11
Mastertickles
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Master
Posted 01 June 2005 - 03:05 PM
Kinda makes you wonder here mars is getting close and War of the worlds is coming to the movies! :|
#12
Spartan6
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Godlike
Posted 01 June 2005 - 03:07 PM
I smell conspiracy...Where's Orsino?Kinda makes you wonder here mars is getting close and War of the worlds is coming to the movies! :|
Chris
SPQT
PSYOPS.... Because physical wounds heal.
"...smells like wet dog in here to."
Crazy8
Black Lightning KS004
#13
Mastertickles
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Master
Posted 01 June 2005 - 03:53 PM
lolI smell conspiracy...Where's Orsino?
#14
Digital M@
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Godlike
Posted 01 June 2005 - 03:54 PM
Yep, it seems to me they are always saying you will not see this again and something very similar happens just a few years later.That's weird. I remember standing in our front yard *last* August staring up at Mars because everyone yelled that "It'll never happen again for 60000 years!" or whatever. I had a really long conversation with our friend who's an astrophysicist about it last year. I'm gonna start not believing them if it's a major Marsian galactic phenomena every 12 months! *heh*
Jess
#15
Spartan6
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Godlike
Posted 01 June 2005 - 03:58 PM
The media has been infiltrated by the Martians.
Hmm..I seem to be almost out of bubblegum.
Hmm..I seem to be almost out of bubblegum.
Chris
SPQT
PSYOPS.... Because physical wounds heal.
"...smells like wet dog in here to."
Crazy8
Black Lightning KS004
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