As if executing a cosmic air kiss, Earth and Mars will come as close as they desire in the wee hours of Wednesday during an historical event that has captivated the attention of skywatchers around the globe.
The two planets will be separated by 34,646,418 miles (55,758,006 kilometers) at 5:51 a.m. ET (1051 GMT) on Aug. 27.
Not since the Neanderthals shared this planet with early humans have the two worlds been so close.
The span of space is small only in the cosmic sense, however. Despite rumors, there will be no chance of collision and no unusual or dangerous gravitational effects. It is just a wonderful opportunity for anyone to enjoy a slice of astronomical history and to see Mars as bright as it can be.
Public interest in the event has soared recently as media around the world cover the story, which was first reported by SPACE.com last November.
"It's taken on almost a mystical importance with people," said Ray Villard, news director at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which operates the Hubble Space Telescope.
Hubble, which orbits Earth, will take advantage of the proximity by snapping two pictures of Mars for release Wednesday. The first will be available on SPACE.com shortly after 6 a.m. ET (1100 GMT) that day.
Mars rises in the southeast around sunset, your local time, shimmering like an orange star so bright it could momentarily be mistaken for an airliner on final approach. It outshines all other stars in the sky. Around 1 a.m. Mars is due south and high in the sky. It sets in the southwest at about sunrise.
How to watch
No equipment is necessary to observe Mars closer than has any human in the past 59,619 years. But the best views are afforded through telescopes, which can reveal surface markings, the south polar ice cap and clouds. For this purpose, astronomers recommend at least a 70mm lens for so-called refractor telescopes, or 4.25 inches for the reflector type.
However, telescopes are in short supply at many stores, as a sort of Mars mania has folks scurrying to buy optical aids.
People in many communities will flock to local observatories and amateur astronomy outings for a chance to peek through really big telescopes. Web searches can yield contact information for local astronomy clubs, and the Planetary Society has created an extensive list of related events.
A complete Mars Viewer's Guide is available from SPACE.com.
Everyone has potential ringside seats to this celestial wonder. Mars is visible to anyone on Earth with clear skies. And the exact instant of the closest approach is relatively unimportant, other than marking a curious mathematical moment.
In fact, many people will not see Mars at 5:51 a.m. ET (1051 GMT) on Wednesday. It will have sunk nearly to the southwestern horizon for residents of eastern North America, and it will be broad daylight then in Europe and other parts of the world. Weather could ruin the view for some hopeful observers.
Mars, though, is essentially the same brightness any night or early morning now through Sept. 2, and it will remain a delightful skywatcher's target into October.
What's going on
The unusually close approach -- less than 1 percent closer than a similar event in 1971 -- is created by a confluence of orbital oddities.
Earth and Mars are like cars on a racetrack, with Earth on the inside. Every 26 months or so, Mars is at opposition -- directly opposite the Sun in relation to Earth, just as Earth "laps" Mars in the never-ending race. Mars reaches opposition this week, causing it to rise around sunset and set at sunrise.
As with any opposition of Mars, this one offers a shorter path for spacecraft, and four of them are bound for the red planet right now. NASA has two probes en route, slated to land and deploy rovers in January. Another lander was shot to Mars by the European Space Agency, and the Japanese have a Mars orbiter on the way.
For skywatchers, this opposition is particularly special.
The orbits of both planets are not quite circles. So every 15 years, a Mars opposition comes when the red planet is about as near to the Sun as its orbit ever carries it (a point called perihelion) and Earth is near its outermost point (called aphelion).
Further, the two orbits actually rotate in space, bringing Earth's aphelion and Mars' perihelion to even greater proximity at certain times -- like this week.
Imagine each orbit being shaped a bit like the outline of a football (the oblong, American variety). A smaller football is rotating freely inside a larger one. Every now and then -- as measured in cosmic time -- the pointy end of the inner football is lined up with the laces of the outer football.
With all these factors involved, the timing of the closest approach rarely if ever coincides with the moment of opposition, but they're usually within a few days of each other. Mars achieves opposition the day after this year's close approach.
There is yet another factor at work.
"Mars has been slowly getting closer to the Sun at the perihelion point of its orbit (that part of the orbit closest to the Sun)," explains Joe Rao, SPACE.com's Night Sky columnist.
Rao, who has been scrutinizing this year's close approach since last year, says this change in Mars' orbit has probably contributed to a bunching of similar events over the past few centuries.
In fact, an even closer pass is on the horizon, at least for a future generation of skywatchers. In 2287, Mars will be slightly nearer to Earth than it is this week.
As if executing a cosmic air kiss, Earth and Mars will come as close as they desire in the wee hours of Wednesday during an historical event that has captivated the attention of skywatchers around the globe.
The two planets will be separated by 34,646,418 miles (55,758,006 kilometers) at 5:51 a.m. ET (1051 GMT) on Aug. 27.
Not since the Neanderthals shared this planet with early humans have the two worlds been so close.
Quoting: Paradigm
Very cool! A few years ago (about 4-5) we had another time where Mars was very close to earth... THANKS! Woman of white garment, foreign woman, earth-eating woman, taking and giving life, she is Pele
"ONCE IN HIS LIFE, EVERY MAN IS ENTITLED TO FALL MADLY IN LOVE WITH A GORGEOUS REDHEAD" - LUCILLE BALL
As if executing a cosmic air kiss, Earth and Mars will come as close as they desire in the wee hours of Wednesday during an historical event that has captivated the attention of skywatchers around the globe.
The two planets will be separated by 34,646,418 miles (55,758,006 kilometers) at 5:51 a.m. ET (1051 GMT) on Aug. 27.
Not since the Neanderthals shared this planet with early humans have the two worlds been so close.
The span of space is small only in the cosmic sense, however. Despite rumors, there will be no chance of collision and no unusual or dangerous gravitational effects. It is just a wonderful opportunity for anyone to enjoy a slice of astronomical history and to see Mars as bright as it can be.
Public interest in the event has soared recently as media around the world cover the story, which was first reported by SPACE.com last November.
"It's taken on almost a mystical importance with people," said Ray Villard, news director at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which operates the Hubble Space Telescope.
Hubble, which orbits Earth, will take advantage of the proximity by snapping two pictures of Mars for release Wednesday. The first will be available on SPACE.com shortly after 6 a.m. ET (1100 GMT) that day.
Mars rises in the southeast around sunset, your local time, shimmering like an orange star so bright it could momentarily be mistaken for an airliner on final approach. It outshines all other stars in the sky. Around 1 a.m. Mars is due south and high in the sky. It sets in the southwest at about sunrise.
How to watch
No equipment is necessary to observe Mars closer than has any human in the past 59,619 years. But the best views are afforded through telescopes, which can reveal surface markings, the south polar ice cap and clouds. For this purpose, astronomers recommend at least a 70mm lens for so-called refractor telescopes, or 4.25 inches for the reflector type.
However, telescopes are in short supply at many stores, as a sort of Mars mania has folks scurrying to buy optical aids.
People in many communities will flock to local observatories and amateur astronomy outings for a chance to peek through really big telescopes. Web searches can yield contact information for local astronomy clubs, and the Planetary Society has created an extensive list of related events.
A complete Mars Viewer's Guide is available from SPACE.com.
Everyone has potential ringside seats to this celestial wonder. Mars is visible to anyone on Earth with clear skies. And the exact instant of the closest approach is relatively unimportant, other than marking a curious mathematical moment.
In fact, many people will not see Mars at 5:51 a.m. ET (1051 GMT) on Wednesday. It will have sunk nearly to the southwestern horizon for residents of eastern North America, and it will be broad daylight then in Europe and other parts of the world. Weather could ruin the view for some hopeful observers.
Mars, though, is essentially the same brightness any night or early morning now through Sept. 2, and it will remain a delightful skywatcher's target into October.
What's going on
The unusually close approach -- less than 1 percent closer than a similar event in 1971 -- is created by a confluence of orbital oddities.
Earth and Mars are like cars on a racetrack, with Earth on the inside. Every 26 months or so, Mars is at opposition -- directly opposite the Sun in relation to Earth, just as Earth "laps" Mars in the never-ending race. Mars reaches opposition this week, causing it to rise around sunset and set at sunrise.
As with any opposition of Mars, this one offers a shorter path for spacecraft, and four of them are bound for the red planet right now. NASA has two probes en route, slated to land and deploy rovers in January. Another lander was shot to Mars by the European Space Agency, and the Japanese have a Mars orbiter on the way.
For skywatchers, this opposition is particularly special.
The orbits of both planets are not quite circles. So every 15 years, a Mars opposition comes when the red planet is about as near to the Sun as its orbit ever carries it (a point called perihelion) and Earth is near its outermost point (called aphelion).
Further, the two orbits actually rotate in space, bringing Earth's aphelion and Mars' perihelion to even greater proximity at certain times -- like this week.
Imagine each orbit being shaped a bit like the outline of a football (the oblong, American variety). A smaller football is rotating freely inside a larger one. Every now and then -- as measured in cosmic time -- the pointy end of the inner football is lined up with the laces of the outer football.
With all these factors involved, the timing of the closest approach rarely if ever coincides with the moment of opposition, but they're usually within a few days of each other. Mars achieves opposition the day after this year's close approach.
There is yet another factor at work.
"Mars has been slowly getting closer to the Sun at the perihelion point of its orbit (that part of the orbit closest to the Sun)," explains Joe Rao, SPACE.com's Night Sky columnist.
Rao, who has been scrutinizing this year's close approach since last year, says this change in Mars' orbit has probably contributed to a bunching of similar events over the past few centuries.
In fact, an even closer pass is on the horizon, at least for a future generation of skywatchers. In 2287, Mars will be slightly nearer to Earth than it is this week.
As if executing a cosmic air kiss, Earth and Mars will come as close as they desire in the wee hours of Wednesday during an historical event that has captivated the attention of skywatchers around the globe.
The two planets will be separated by 34,646,418 miles (55,758,006 kilometers) at 5:51 a.m. ET (1051 GMT) on Aug. 27.
Not since the Neanderthals shared this planet with early humans have the two worlds been so close.
Very cool! A few years ago (about 4-5) we had another time where Mars was very close to earth... THANKS!
Quoting: Geogal
this is the closest it has been in like 60,000 years.....thats a trip Swimming in a sea of fractals
Paradigm Just a guy User ID: 490007 8/26/2008 9:18 PM
Re: Mars Makes History: Closest to Earth Aug. 27 DONT MISS IT!
"IF I MAKE THE STARS, MAYBE I KNOW SOMETHING, BUT I WILL NOT PLEASE ANYONE. THERE IS A CONSUMMATED FACTOR BECAUSE I AM A DIFFUSION SUBJECT, SEE? I AM NOT AN OBJECT. I AM ALREADY A SUBJECT. I LIKE TO HONE EXPERTISE"
"GOD NEVER CREATED ME NOT TO BECOME DESTRUCTIVE, BUT GOD CREATED ME TO BECOME USEFUL!
"THAT ALL YOU ALL THE ALL OF ALL AND I AM THAT HIM THAT HE IS HE, NEITHER WAS HIM WAS HE THAT WAS HE...I AM THE MAN THAT MANNED THE MAN..."
" DO YOU KNOW THAT CERTAIN AREAS OF THE PLANET EARTH FUNCTION AS VAST MACHINE THAT COULD CREATE VORTEX IN AND OUT OF WHICH MATERIAL OBJECTS CAN DROP INTO OR OUT OF OTHER SPACE-TIME PULSES..? THE SUBTERRANEAN TUNNELS CAN CONNECT TO THE NORTH AND SOUTH POLES WHERE THE BIG HOLE EXISTS.."
"THE SPACEMEN WERE PROVOKED BY EARTHMEN WHO HAVE BEEN SENDING SATELLITES AND SPACECRAFTS TO OUTER SPACE MAKING STUDIES AND SPACE EXPERIMENTS, CLAIMING TO BE THE ONLY INTELLIGENT BEING IN THE UNIVERSE...FOR SUCH CONSTANT PROVOCATION, THESE UFOS WHO USED TO BUZZ OUR PLANES SHIPS SPACECRAFTS AND EVEN PEOPLE ON EARTH, UNSEEN AND OFTENTIMES UNDETECTED LANDED ON EARTH'S SURFACE FOR THE FIRST TIME TO BE SEEN BY THE NAKED EYES TO MANIFEST THEIR EXISTENCE THEIR SUPERIORITY AND CIVILIZATION"
'BLACK MAGIC AND WHITE MAGIC OPERATE ON THE SAME PRINCIPLE. MAGIC IS MERELY A FORCE - FROM THE FINER ESSENCE OF GOD OF YOU WISH. AN EVIL FORCE IS A MAGNETIC FORCE OF ENERGY. WHEN ONE TAKES A FORCE AND SUPPRESSES OR RESTRICTS ITS ACTION OR FREEDOM TO MOVE SO THAT IT BECOMES ATTACHED TO , OR ATTRACTED TO, AN OBJECT, THAT FORCE BECOMES EVIL. ANY FORCE THAT HAS LOST IS NATURAL FLOW OR DEGREE OF FREEDOM BECOME EVIL...BECAUSE IT HAS LOST ITS FREEDOM OF ACTION. WE KEEP PEOPLE FROM BECOMING EVIL BY LOVING THEM. BECAUSE LOVE IS REMOVING ATTACHMENT , LETTING THEM BE"
THE UNIVERSE WITHIN OUR HEARTS
Human body is but a window to the universe. the chemical mix of substances that energize the human system are the gases and elements that snake throughout the solar system or the universe for that matter.
Reduced to a finite calculable degree, the universe is on two feet, two eyes, two ears - the whole works. It is not surprising then that each one of you can be attuned to the pulse of creation - like a bell's tinkle reaching out to your senses and returning to its base of origin. But you cannot deny, you are a recipient of the element of that bell - the tinkling sound that wakes you up in search of your origin.
The essence is encased in your souls. Housed in your physical selves. Derived from the energies that creation was conceived of.
The path from your end towards the Source of All is a formula. We have had the privilege to bear the Code into your awareness.
What more can we do?
What else is there for you to ask for?
You are keepers of the universe. Universal Faith in Every Universal Soul. . . .
I know the story is old, but that dosent matter, its the fact that the event is happening tomorrow.
Quoting: Paradigm
LOL! No its NOT it happened 5 yrs ago!
[link to www.snopes.com] Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: John 11:25
Anonymous Coward User ID: 482097 8/26/2008 9:22 PM
Re: Mars Makes History: Closest to Earth Aug. 27 DONT MISS IT!
Baaaa! Thanks for ruining the fun, I probably had a bunch going for it.
Quoting: Paradigm
LOL! You had me going that you believed it but form your other posts I know your a sharp person! Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: John 11:25
Paradigm Just a guy User ID: 490007 8/26/2008 9:27 PM
Re: Mars Makes History: Closest to Earth Aug. 27 DONT MISS IT!
As if executing a cosmic air kiss, Earth and Mars will come as close as they desire in the wee hours of Wednesday during an historical event that has captivated the attention of skywatchers around the globe.
Quoting: Paradigm
It wasn't a "cosmic air kiss", it was a so long asshole slap. Venus was shortly after stolen right out from under the nose of "Mars" in his own temple.
P.S. And yes, that was FIVE (the number of Venus) years ago. Ophiuchus - The Great Serpent Wrestler and Tamer
Disclaimer: This website exists for entertainment purposes only. The reader is responsible for discerning the validity, factuality
or implications of information posted here, be it fictional or based on real events. Moderators on this forum make every
effort to review the material posted on this site however, it is not realistically possible for our small staff to manually
review each and every one of the more than 5000 posts GodlikeProductions gets on a daily basis. The content of posts
on this site, including but not limited to links to other web sites, are the expressed opinion of the original poster and are in
no way representative of or endorsed by the owners or administration of this website. The posts on this website are the opinion of
the specific author and are not statements of advice, opinion, or factual information on behalf of the owner or
administration of GodlikeProductions.
This site may contain adult content and if you feel you might be offended by such content, you should log off immediately.
Not all posts on this website are intended as truthful or factual assertion by their authors. Some users of this website are participating in internet role playing, with or without the use of an avatar. NO post on this website should be considered factual information on face value alone. Users are encouraged to USE DISCERNMENT and do their own follow up research while reading and posting on this website. Godlikeproductions.com reserves the right to make changes to, corrections and/or remove entirely at any time posts made on this website without notice. In addition, Godlikeproductions.com disclaims any and all liability for damages incurred directly or indirectly as a result of a post on this website.
This site is provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied. You should not assume that this site is error-free or that it will be suitable for the particular purpose which you have in mind when using it. In no event shall Godlikeproductions.com be liable for any special, incidental, indirect or consequential damages of any kind, or any damages whatsoever, including, without limitation, those resulting from loss of use, data or profits, whether or not advised of the possibility of damage, and on any theory of liability, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of this site or other documents which are referenced by or linked to this site.
Some events depicted in certain posting and threads on this website may be fictitious and any similarity to any person living or dead is merely coincidental. Some other articles may be based on actual events but which in certain cases incidents, characters and timelines have been changed for dramatic purposes. Certain characters may be composites, or entirely fictitious.
We do not discriminate against the mentally ill!
Fair Use Notice: This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Users may make such material available in an effort to advance awareness and understanding of issues relating to civil rights, economics, individual rights, international affairs, liberty, science & technology, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C.Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information please visit: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
This Disclaimer is subject to change at anytime.
Mail Webmaster with questions or comments about this site.
