MBS Astronomy » Don’t Miss This!

Will Mars Appear as Big as The Full Moon?!!!

fuadramsey — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 16:37:39 +0000

“Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.”

That direct quote is from an email forwarded to me today. The sender was asking me if it was true. I noticed in the email that it was also sent to about two dozen other people. These were all mostly business associates, so these are educated people, but the fact is that most people will not take the time to research stuff.

So sorry to disappoint, but Mars will not appear as big as the moon to us. A simple logic test would be to go outside and look at the moon and Mars right now. Is Mars half the size of the moon , now that August 27th is only a few weeks away? Can you even find Mars in the sky right now?

This hoax gets circulated each year, and each year I am asked by my peers if this will happen. I usually ask them what do they think and why, and am always entertained at their excitement about the event, but lack of fact finding or preparation for such a great celestial event.

According to Snopes.com and Wikipedia this hoax started off in August 2003 when Mars did come to its closet point to Earth in 60,000 years. But Mars comes pretty close to this distance every 15 years.

So for your entertainment and reference here is the famous email hoax below.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING!!!

Something to look forward to this summer.

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

June 21, 2009 – 7 Planets and the Moon!!!

fuadramsey — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 06:56:10 +0000

Wow, if you are out for the new moon in June, you are in for a treat on the morning of June 21, 2009. At 4:00 a.m. you will be able to see a sliver of the moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Uranus, Jupiter, and Neptune.

That’s 6 Planets, and if you look straight down at that time you’ll see another planet. Get out your widefields and see what you can grab!

April 22, 2009 – Lyrid Meteor Shower

fuadramsey — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:41:26 +0000

On April 22, 2009 the Lyrid Meteor Shower will be at it’s best. The radiant (point where the meteors seem to come from will be between the constalations Hercules and Lyra.

Expect to see 10-20 meteors per hour in darker skies. To best view the show just look straight up while reclining in a chair. Typically the earlier dark sky is the best time to view.

On March 27, 2009 Venus is at Inferior Conjunction

fuadramsey — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:26:45 +0000

Venus will be at the closest it will be in between us and the Sun on March 27, 2009 for the year.

That means it will be an excellent time to view Venus. The crescent will appear very thin. Towards the end of March you may even be able to see this in binoculars. The best time to view this will be during the daytime. Be carefull not to accidently look at the sun in your finder or scope.

Try looking in the late afternoon while hiding your telescope in a shadow of a big object like a tree, fence, or house. The image shows where to look for it at 5:30 pacific time.

The Moon and the Pleiades after Sunset March 29, 2009

fuadramsey — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:15:36 +0000

Right after sunset you can view the tiny sliver of the Moon only 6 degrees away from the Pleides. It will only be up for a couple of hours as the moon sets around 9:45 p.m. .

Moon, Jupiter and Mars Morning March 23, 2009

fuadramsey — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:00:23 +0000

On March 23 the Moon, Jupiter and Mars will all be next to each other in the Eastern sky around 5:00 a.m.