[meteorite-list] MARS

From: Jerry <grf2_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu, 02 Aug 2007 19:21:39 -0400
Message-ID: <BBBAC69C05054C499CA8532DB4CDB141_at_Notebook>

Thanks John for this explanation. I finally make some sense for this
reoccuring piece.
Jerry Flaherty
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kerns, John" <John.Kerns at ngc.com>
To: <meteorite-list at meteoritecentral.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 02, 2007 6:46 PM
Subject: Re: [meteorite-list] MARS


> 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 This silly bit of out-of-date news is fated to return, year after year.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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>>
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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 07:21:39 PM PDT