IT CAME FROM MARS!!!

[Anonymous]

My mom email me this so I know i am going to out and see it!!!


>Mars Spectacular Coming in August to the Sky's Near You!
>NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN
>Mars
>
>
>
>The Red Planet is about to be spectacular!
>
>This month and next, Earth is catching up with Mars in 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 before it happens again.
>
>The encounter will culminate on August 27th when
>Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth 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 it will rise in the east at 10p.m.
>
>and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m.
>
>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 12:30a.m. That's pretty
>convenient to see something that no human being 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 this with your children and grandchildren.
>
>NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN

[Anonymous]

AS BIG AS THE FULL MOON?!??!?! WTF!

[Tbone]

It's a trick to steal your toasters! Everyone goes outside to look for Mars and meanwhile your toaster is left unguarded!

[Anonymous]

Not my toaster!!!

[Anonymous]

DAMN THOSE COMMIE BASTARDS!!!! (shake fist!!!)

[Anonymous]

Toaster Nooooo

[Lithium]

Yeah I got that email too. Not really sure if it is true. Doesn't seem logical.

[Ash]

Not to be a downer but the email is a bit of an exaggeration .  Mars will get close to us this year but no closer than it did two years ago and it wont happen until late October.  

Read the article.  Sorry folks, it would have been pretty sweet.  

http://space.about.com/od/astronomynews/a/marsclose2005_2.htm

_Yotogi

[Anonymous]

Heh, I knew there was some BS in that.

No way would it be as big as the full moon.

[Anonymous]

yes, common sense. considering the full moon is 1/6 the size of the earth, and mars is if i remember correctly 4 times that... in order for it to be the same size in the night sky... it wud have to be at a distance from earth equal to 4 times the distance the moon is from earth. we can reach the moon in about 2-3 days. that wud mean we cud reach mars in under 2 weeks. thats not possible.