CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH MARS
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. 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 he 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 children and grandchildren. No one alive today will ever
see this again.
