Mars Encounter
Written by Kristin at 9:57 PM
I thought some of you guys might be interested in this.
Throughout the month, the distance between Earth and Mars will decrease until August 27, when the planets will be at their closest in recorded history. Astronomers aren't sure when we will be this close to Mars again, but it may be as long as 60,000 years. On August 27th, the distance between Earth and Mars will be 34,649,589 miles. Mars will appear with a magnitude of -2.9, and will be, next to the moon, the brightest object in the sky. It will rise at nightfall and reach its zenith at 12:30am.
Throughout the month, the distance between Earth and Mars will decrease until August 27, when the planets will be at their closest in recorded history. Astronomers aren't sure when we will be this close to Mars again, but it may be as long as 60,000 years. On August 27th, the distance between Earth and Mars will be 34,649,589 miles. Mars will appear with a magnitude of -2.9, and will be, next to the moon, the brightest object in the sky. It will rise at nightfall and reach its zenith at 12:30am.
4 Notes -
Who cares? Go see War of the Worlds instead!
Yea, I'm joking.
Oh... joy. Sorry to be a party pooper, but this isn't true.
Mars did come closer than it will for the rest of our lives in August 2003. Mars will come very close this year, the closest it will be for eight years, which will peak on October 30.
What happened here was that someone recycled an old email and embellished it a little, and the rumor spread.
http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
-John Moorman
John, you are too learnèd. Too, too learnèd.
that, and I've been correcting this in the planetarium for the last month.
but thanks.
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