Mars to Get Closer than Ever in Recorded History in 2003.htm

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Mars to Get Closer than Ever in Recorded History in 2003

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Rudra Joe

FairfieldLife

Wednesday, August 06, 2003 8:56 PM

[FairfieldLife] Mars to Get Closer than Ever in Recorded History in

2003.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mars to Get Closer than Ever in Recorded History in 2003

By Joe Rao

Special to SPACE.com

posted: 07:00 am ET

08 November 2002

 

 

 

 

Mars recently emerged into the morning sky and has begun an orbital

dance with Earth that will, over the next several months, lead to the best

viewing opportunity since Neanderthals looked skyward.

 

We’re not kidding.

 

 

--

 

a.. Where is Mars Now?

Track Mars with our exclusive viewing maps and charts.

b.. The Science Behind this Orbital Oddity

Learn exactly what causes this close pass.

 

--

 

To get ready for this momentous skywatching event, now would be a

fine time to reacquaint yourself with the Red Planet [maps/charts]. All during

the summer of 2002 Mars was pretty much out of view because of its proximity to

the Sun. But during the latter part of September it began to emerge back into

view in the morning sky and is in full view, though for now it appears rather

small in the sky and low on the horizon.

 

However, this is only the beginning of what will turn out to be the

most dramatic and spectacular Mars apparition you or any of your ancestors has

ever had a chance to see.

 

The Red Planet is getting progressively closer to Earth with each

passing night, and consequently it will slowly appear to grow larger and

brighter [story/animations]. By late August 2003, when it will be about 191

million miles closer, the reddish point of light in our night sky will appear

more than six times larger and shine some 85 times brighter than it appears now.

 

At 5:51 a.m. EDT on Aug. 27, 2003, Mars will be within 34,646,418

miles (55,758,006 kilometers) of Earth. This will be the closest that Mars has

come to our planet in nearly 60,000 years.

 

[Editor's Note: The initial computations that brought this event to

light were made by Jean Meeus of Belgium. The above distances, only very

slightly refined, were supplied to SPACE.com on Dec. 13, 2002 by orbit expert

Myles Standish at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. The "nearly 60,000 years"

estimate was originally 73,000 years and was updated on May 1, 2003 as new

calculations were supplied.]

 

Here's what happens:

 

On Aug. 28, 2003, Mars will be at "opposition," the moment when the

Sun, Earth and Mars will form a straight line; since we are closer to the Sun

than Mars, this is also when we are overtaking Mars in our respective orbits

[graphic].

 

Mars comes to opposition about every 26 months. But because of the

elliptical orbits of Earth and Mars, not all oppositions are created equal. The

2003 opposition will be superior to all the others because Mars will be very

near to its closest point to the Sun, called perihelion, when it arrives at

opposition.

 

 

Such "perihelic oppositions" of Mars are in themselves, rather

infrequent, occurring about every 15 to 17 years. The most recent one took place

in September 1988, when Mars passed to within 36.5 million miles (58.7 million

kilometers) of Earth.

 

Though Mars' opposition comes comes on Aug. 28, it will be closest

to Earth on Aug. 27.

 

At the close approach, the Red Planet will be brighter than Jupiter

and all the stars in the night sky, outshone only by Venus and the Moon.

 

 

--

 

More Mars Watch:

 

a.. Where is Mars Now?

Track Mars with our exclusive viewing maps and charts.

b.. The Science Behind this Orbital Oddity

Learn exactly what causes this close pass.

Mars Pictures and News:

 

a.. The 10 Best Mars Images Ever!

Some of these will surprise you, others are total classics.

b.. Photo Gallery: Mars Imagined

Real data goes into these computer generated artist renderings.

c.. Photo Gallery: Ancient Mars

An artist uses real data to imagine what Mars once looked like.

d.. NEW: Mars Seen in X-rays!

See the Red Planet in all its fluorescence.

e.. Mars Headlines

The latest news and feature stories

Map Mars from Your Location

With Starry Night you can create charts for any location,

anytime. Learn more:

 

 

Astronomy for the

Entire Family!

 

BUY IT NOW

The Ultimate

Astronomy Experience!

 

BUY IT NOW

 

--

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New

York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy for The New York Times and

other publications, and he is also an on-camera meteorologist for News 12

Westchester, New York.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Hi.

We also have the Persead Meteor Shower to look forward this coming

full moon, 8/12 which is Tuesday !

 

Kanti

 

, "Kirk"

<kirk_bernhardt@c...> wrote:

> Mars to Get Closer than Ever in Recorded History in 2003

> -

> Rudra Joe

> FairfieldLife

> Wednesday, August 06, 2003 8:56 PM

> [FairfieldLife] Mars to Get Closer than Ever in Recorded

History in 2003.htm

>

>

>

SEARCH:

>

>

>

> Hubble Space Telescope | Spacewatch: Backyard

Astronomy

>

advertisement

>

>

>

>

> Mars to Get Closer than Ever in Recorded History

in 2003

> By Joe Rao

> Special to SPACE.com

> posted: 07:00 am ET

> 08 November 2002

>

>

>

>

> Mars recently emerged into the morning sky and has

begun an orbital dance with Earth that will, over the next several

months, lead to the best viewing opportunity since Neanderthals

looked skyward.

>

> We're not kidding.

>

>

> --

>

> a.. Where is Mars Now?

> Track Mars with our exclusive viewing maps and

charts.

> b.. The Science Behind this Orbital Oddity

> Learn exactly what causes this close pass.

>

> --

>

> To get ready for this momentous skywatching event, now

would be a fine time to reacquaint yourself with the Red Planet

[maps/charts]. All during the summer of 2002 Mars was pretty much out

of view because of its proximity to the Sun. But during the latter

part of September it began to emerge back into view in the morning

sky and is in full view, though for now it appears rather small in

the sky and low on the horizon.

>

> However, this is only the beginning of what will turn

out to be the most dramatic and spectacular Mars apparition you or

any of your ancestors has ever had a chance to see.

>

> The Red Planet is getting progressively closer to Earth

with each passing night, and consequently it will slowly appear to

grow larger and brighter [story/animations]. By late August 2003,

when it will be about 191 million miles closer, the reddish point of

light in our night sky will appear more than six times larger and

shine some 85 times brighter than it appears now.

>

> At 5:51 a.m. EDT on Aug. 27, 2003, Mars will be within

34,646,418 miles (55,758,006 kilometers) of Earth. This will be the

closest that Mars has come to our planet in nearly 60,000 years.

>

> [Editor's Note: The initial computations that brought

this event to light were made by Jean Meeus of Belgium. The above

distances, only very slightly refined, were supplied to SPACE.com on

Dec. 13, 2002 by orbit expert Myles Standish at NASA's Jet Propulsion

Laboratory. The "nearly 60,000 years" estimate was originally 73,000

years and was updated on May 1, 2003 as new calculations were

supplied.]

>

> Here's what happens:

>

> On Aug. 28, 2003, Mars will be at "opposition," the

moment when the Sun, Earth and Mars will form a straight line; since

we are closer to the Sun than Mars, this is also when we are

overtaking Mars in our respective orbits [graphic].

>

> Mars comes to opposition about every 26 months. But

because of the elliptical orbits of Earth and Mars, not all

oppositions are created equal. The 2003 opposition will be superior

to all the others because Mars will be very near to its closest point

to the Sun, called perihelion, when it arrives at opposition.

>

>

> Such "perihelic oppositions" of Mars are in themselves,

rather infrequent, occurring about every 15 to 17 years. The most

recent one took place in September 1988, when Mars passed to within

36.5 million miles (58.7 million kilometers) of Earth.

>

> Though Mars' opposition comes comes on Aug. 28, it will

be closest to Earth on Aug. 27.

>

> At the close approach, the Red Planet will be brighter

than Jupiter and all the stars in the night sky, outshone only by

Venus and the Moon.

>

>

> --

>

> More Mars Watch:

>

> a.. Where is Mars Now?

> Track Mars with our exclusive viewing maps and

charts.

> b.. The Science Behind this Orbital Oddity

> Learn exactly what causes this close pass.

> Mars Pictures and News:

>

> a.. The 10 Best Mars Images Ever!

> Some of these will surprise you, others are total

classics.

> b.. Photo Gallery: Mars Imagined

> Real data goes into these computer generated artist

renderings.

> c.. Photo Gallery: Ancient Mars

> An artist uses real data to imagine what Mars once

looked like.

> d.. NEW: Mars Seen in X-rays!

> See the Red Planet in all its fluorescence.

> e.. Mars Headlines

> The latest news and feature stories

> Map Mars from Your Location

> With Starry Night you can create charts for any

location, anytime. Learn more:

>

>

> Astronomy for the

> Entire Family!

>

> BUY IT NOW

> The Ultimate

> Astronomy Experience!

>

> BUY IT NOW

>

> --

> Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest

lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium. He writes about astronomy

for The New York Times and other publications, and he is also an on-

camera meteorologist for News 12 Westchester, New York.

>

>

about us | message boards | register at SPACE.com | contact us

| advertise | terms of service | privacy statement

>

> © 1999-2003 SPACE.com, Inc. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

> Sponsor

>

>

>

>

> FairfieldLife

>

>

>

> Terms of

Service.

>

>

>