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 the naked eye. Mars will
be easy to spot. At the beginning of August Mar will rise in the
east at 10 p.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 12:30
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 this with your friends. No one alive today will ever see this again.