Never Again In Your Lifetime Will The Red Planet Be So Spectacular! (August, 2003)

E-Mail | Fanny Aragno & Richard Swanson

[webber]

Never Again In Your Lifetime Will The Red Planet Be So Spectacular!

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.

On August 27th, Mars will come 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.

Share with your friends, children and grandchildren.

No one alive today will ever see this again!

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[MeekOneGOP]

Hmmm ??? I dunno ....

[Gabz]

Only 3rd or 4th post.....trying to hijack thread..........resurrecting thread from last year?????????

[MeekOneGOP]

Yeah, I saw that. I also wasn't exactly what the exchange (the comment and his reply) was all about.

And when I checked his 'In Forum' comments, I didn't see anything blatant on prior posts.

[Gabz]

I know what you are saying........

Could very well be an over-reaction on my part. We will see.

[Tribune7]

ping. Mars will be seen in Pa.

[MeekOneGOP]

Well, we have been inundated with them the last few months.
I saw at LEAST ONE Troll exterminated today !

[Gabz]

What in heaven's name does that have to do with Mars?????

I hate to tell you this but it is the "in-your-face" nasties like you that make the rest of us, including many in the gay community, recoil with revulsion.

[Gabz]

I saw at LEAST ONE Troll exterminated today !

Dang - I missed it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[tet68]

The only "gutter" of "depravity" here is your own obvious blind generalized negativity toward gays formed by your willful ignorance.


Sort of like palestinians are they? Islamics?

Next thing you'll be asking us to get to know martians better dispite their disgusting habits.

I know , I work with some.

[PA Engineer]

Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick Tick . . .

[PA Engineer]

Was your unbilical cord wrapped around your neck at birth?

[jackbill]

2287- that ain't so long. Isn't anyone else planning to stick around that long?

I heard that the DemocRATs were going to regain control of the Congress and the White House in 2286, so I'm going to check out just before that.

[MeekOneGOP]

Sorry 'bout that !

islamrepresentrator is now 'Nobody by that name' now on a thread that was deleted.

And Independent_Thinking was Zotted on this thread:

ZOT!! An Open Letter to the Moderater and All
Free Republic Memebers on why certain posts are being

Typical Troll, too ! ^^^^^ Note spelling of 'members' ...

[hellinahandcart]

Wow, I was away from my computer all day, and I see I got a bazillion troll pings...but this is the weirdest. Resurrecting a Mars thread?

[Ciexyz]

I'm getting pinged by a troll. Mods, help!

[Gabz]

I caught the Independent Thinking Zot thread - but missed the other one.

[Gabz]

sorry for pinging you - but it struck me as so strange - because of the age of the thread.........and then the totally whacko nature of the post.......

[hellinahandcart]

Don't apologize, it's just so weird. And his comment was totally off topic.

[Gabz]

Weird is a good word to describe it........

[GOPJ]

Thanks for the ping.