[meteorite-list] MARS

From: Kerns, John <John.Kerns_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 2 Aug 2007 15:46:22 -0700
Message-ID: <FD7781D85302864BA2705BAB95D3C36C036A5876_at_XMBCAV02.northgrum.com>

It was a gross misrepresentation; but mathematically the statement was
correct.
People keep ignoring/omitting the "at 75-power" part of the text.

At 25 arcseconds (the angular size of Mars in August 2003), if you
magnify the image by a factor of 75 you achieve an effective angular
size of 0.52 degrees - which is roughly the size of the full Moon when
observed at 1x. The statement infers that a modest power telescope must
be used. Of course, the 75x image of Mars will not look the same as
viewing the Moon with your eye. It now becomes a matter of perspective.
A simple example of this is that the full Moon appears much larger when
it is on the horizon (just rising) than when it is overhead 6 hours
later. The actual size of the moon does not change. This has been
debated for years, but if you hold a dime at arms length and compare it
to the size of the Moon at both times you will observe that the Moon
maintains the same relative size. Your mind interprets the size as
"larger" because of the existence of foreground objects. This is the
famous "Moon Effect".

John Kerns

-----Original Message-----
From: meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com
[mailto:meteorite-list-bounces at meteoritecentral.com] On Behalf Of Chris
Peterson
Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 8:48 PM
To: meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] MARS

This silly bit of out-of-date news is fated to return, year after year.
The Internet refuses to let the story die. Mars was quite close in 2003.

This year it will be at opposition in December, and will not be very
impressive at less than 16 arcseconds diameter.

BTW, when the naked-eye Mars looks as large as the Moon, we're in deep
trouble!

Chris

*****************************************
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com


----- Original Message -----
From: "WILLIAM GARRETT" <wgarrett202 at gmail.com>
To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 11:53 AM
Subject: [meteorite-list] MARS


> *Subject: **Fw: Mars - Once In A Lifetime*
>
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> *Mars* <b at stanleypark.org%3EMars>*
> **
> **** *
>
> *
> **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 ***

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Received on Thu 02 Aug 2007 06:46:22 PM PDT