I have just been sent this, anyone else heard about it, for something so major I'm surprised it's not been in the media more.


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 friends, children and grandchildren.

NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN

Nick

WOOOOW COOOOL!!!!

Sorry guys.. It's a hoax that circulates this time every year

http://www.hoax-slayer.com/mars-earth-close.html

Mars will never be seen as big as the moon from Earth. It looks like a redish star and can be seen as a red dot through binoculars.

I'm not surprised, as we would have seen it whilst watching the meteors the last few eves.

It is around at the moment, I believe - low in the sky, roughly SSW.

It is quite bright, noticeably orange/red, and something to look at through binoculars. All you may be able to identify is that it is a disc and not a point of light like a star, but with no details.

Look here for all sorts of interesting stuff. If you enter your location you can find out when things will fly overhead, such as the ISS (saw that the other day) and the Iridium satellites (which are REALLY bright occasionally!). It also tells you where the planets are at the moment, and how bright they are likely to be.

HTH,
David

The clues:

"The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287".

"It may be 60,000 years before it happens again".

Won't be seeing it tonight anyhow with all this rain!