Earth/Mars Proximity in August

[cuervo72]

Apparently Mars will be closer to Earth in August than it has been in quite some time: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/mars_orbit_030121-1.html

An interesting article (from January, actually) for those with any interest in astronomy.

[Draft Dodger]

is that what I've been seeing at night?

I get out of work at midnight, and there's a bright something up in the Eastern sky - wonder if it's Mars.

[Ksyrup]

I think those are Subby's nipples glistening with sweat.

[cuervo72]

Originally posted by Draft Dodger
is that what I've been seeing at night?

I get out of work at midnight, and there's a bright something up in the Eastern sky - wonder if it's Mars.

Might be DD. Here was some text in the e-mail that my wife forwarded containing the link to the site:

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 the 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.

[Fritz]

Damn, if my arms were just a little longer I could reach out and touch Mars.