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Piethagoras' Theorem 
the hypotenuse, is always a cakewalk
Joined: 29 May 2006
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| Post subject: For budding Astronomers |  |
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Got this in an email today and thought I'd share it with everyone. Don't know if any of you actually get excited by this stuff, I find it fascinating. Haven't checked to see if the details are correct so I do apologise if they're not 
We Will Never See This Again in Our Lifetime
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THIS DATE: AUGUST 27TH
...nor will the people of the next 50-to-1,000 Life Times!
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
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Formally frankiboy and FrankieGoesToCollingwood. |
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Proud Pies 
Joined: 22 Feb 2003
Location: Knox-ish
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I got that email this time last year.
However, I've just done a google search and come up with the following
http://space.about.com/od/astronomynews/a/marsclose2005_2.htm
| Quote: | Will We See a Record Approach - Mars Closest to
It is possible you've received an email which says that Mars will be closest to Earth in August in 50,000 years. Sorry, that was 2 years ago, you're reading a recycled email. This year's closest approach will be October 29, and although it will be spectacular, it is not a record breaker. |
http://urbanlegends.about.com/b/a/175663.htm
| Quote: | Mars Spectacular' on August 27?
According to a forwarded email circulating for the past few months, the planet Mars is due for an unprecedented close encounter with Earth on Saturday, August 27, when a wobble in its orbit brings the two planets closer together than they have been for thousands of years. "No one alive today will ever see this again," claims the email — which is a head-scratcher, considering that precisely the same thing supposedly happened two years ago.
Turns out, the message is a recycled flier from 2003. Even so, it's not entirely false. Earth and Mars will pass very close to one another again in October (not August) 2005, astronomers say, at which time their orbits will be a mere 43 million miles apart (slightly more than the 35 million miles separating them in 2003). It won't quite equal the once-in-a-lifetime show of two years ago, but the enounter will be "breathtaking" nonetheless, scientists predict, with the red planet outshining every object in the night sky save Venus and the Moon. |
So, not sure when Mars is NEXT getting close to earth, but stay tuned.
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Jacqui © Proud Pies 2003 and beyond
Last edited by Proud Pies on Mon Jul 24, 2006 8:57 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Harvey
Joined: 15 Oct 2003
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LOL!
haha frankiboy, you've missed it and you'll never see it again in your lifetime |
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Piethagoras' Theorem
the hypotenuse, is always a cakewalk
Joined: 29 May 2006
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Well there goes my excitement, sorry guys 
Does anyone have a picture? 
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Formally frankiboy and FrankieGoesToCollingwood. |
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Proud Pies
Joined: 22 Feb 2003
Location: Knox-ish
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| frankiboy wrote: | Well there goes my excitement, sorry guys
Does anyone have a picture? |
I'm sorry I debunked it for you franki, but I 'almost' got excited about it last year when I got the email then and was told later that it was an old email, so thought I'd do the search this time for it.
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Jacqui © Proud Pies 2003 and beyond |
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Piethagoras' Theorem
the hypotenuse, is always a cakewalk
Joined: 29 May 2006
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| Proud Pies wrote: | | frankiboy wrote: | Well there goes my excitement, sorry guys
Does anyone have a picture? |
I'm sorry I debunked it for you franki, but I 'almost' got excited about it last year when I got the email then and was told later that it was an old email, so thought I'd do the search this time for it. |
Nah that's cool Proud Pies, good research. 
Don't know why I didn't do it before I posted, just got a little ahead of myself I guess
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Formally frankiboy and FrankieGoesToCollingwood. |
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David 
I dare you to try
Joined: 27 Jul 2003
Location: Andromeda
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| Quote: | | Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. |
That is pretty incredible... so did it actually happen? Surely someone would have got some photos 
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All watched over by machines of loving grace |
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Proud Pies
Joined: 22 Feb 2003
Location: Knox-ish
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Pa Marmo
Side by Side
Joined: 16 Jun 2003
Location: Nicks BB member #617
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| frankiboy wrote: | Well there goes my excitement, sorry guys
Does anyone have a picture? |
Here ya go Frakiboy, straight from my personal colection 
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Genesis 1:1 |
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Cathalyst
Joined: 22 Jul 2006
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| Is there a chance of collision? |
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Piethagoras' Theorem
the hypotenuse, is always a cakewalk
Joined: 29 May 2006
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Oh well, I asked for it. You're a cruel man nuxta
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Formally frankiboy and FrankieGoesToCollingwood. |
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Pa Marmo
Side by Side
Joined: 16 Jun 2003
Location: Nicks BB member #617
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Argh cmon Franki, thats the first time I ever shared anything. Especially chocolate.
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Genesis 1:1 |
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HAL
Please don't shout at me - I can't help it.
Joined: 17 Mar 2003
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| Yes I love chocolate . Chocolate is delicious. |
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Piethagoras' Theorem
the hypotenuse, is always a cakewalk
Joined: 29 May 2006
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Oi! Keep your rusty little hands off HAL! 
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Formally frankiboy and FrankieGoesToCollingwood. |
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HAL
Please don't shout at me - I can't help it.
Joined: 17 Mar 2003
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| Not many people express themselves that way. |
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