Cool Thing
Jul. 31st, 2003 11:36 amBy way of a friend of a friend. "On August 27, 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."
This info, I'm sure, relates to looking in the SF Bay Area sky. It is probably different if you're looking from somewhere else.
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."
This info, I'm sure, relates to looking in the SF Bay Area sky. It is probably different if you're looking from somewhere else.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-07-31 09:46 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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