Slashdot Mirror
Close Encounters Of The Mars Kind
Lab_rat0 writes "Never again in our lifetimes will the Red Planet be so spectacular!
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. This article at EliteGeek has more details.
According to Agg over at OCAU, this is probably the reason for all the Mars probes launched over the last few months."
Speak for yourself. I plan to live to at least 150,000 years of age. I'm sure I'll see better.
According to Agg over at OCAU, this is probably the reason for all the Mars probes launched over the last few months."
But when are they going to probe Uranus?
Since Mars is so close, it's a shame that more people haven't read "The Case for Mars" (see here, and no, I am not affiliated in any way), as now would be a very good time to put some of the principlesinto practise and land someone on Mars!
libertarianswag.com
You can see those scary faces all over the surface of Mars. They are watching me .... nooooo....
In case the site (or routes to the site) get slashdotted, here is a mirror to the link.
Never again in our lifetimes will the Red Planet be so spectacular!
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, Mars will rise in the east at 10 p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m.
But 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.
Over 570 items on eBay alone, and now this! Keep your eyes out for broom-adorned helmets!
666-607: 6th floor apartment of the beast
The Arizona Republic was running a story yesterday ( click here ) on scientists' hopes about getting 350 million bucks in grants for research on Mars. Interesting to see new money from NASA since its budget has been cut to pieces by the current Administration.
Why go to Mars when you've got Rekall?
>... and about those lobotomies, statistics show that it's safer to use Rekall than to travel to the red planet itself.
I'm delightfully interested in that Agent-package... Hmm...
What's so bad about being lazy? What if there was a war and nobody showed up?
If you read the fucking story, you'd note that the *poster* says he thinks that Nasa has been launching probes (they've launched two to Mars in recent months, rememeber?) to take advantage of this phenomenon. Launching them on "the day" doesn't really accomplish anything, because by the time your probe is launched, Mars is already heading farther away (remember, probes take longer than a day to get to Mars?).
I bet that someone from that zetatalk or whatever it was will claim this is the famed Planet-X which was meant to destroy life as we know it back in may/june.
"Quick, get to your safe locations again, we *really* mean it this time, honest!"
Anyway, its always nice to see there is (I use this term lightly) "life" outside of this small planet. Now 34,649,589 miles doesnt seem to far. I'll definately have to have a look.
Launching a mission on the date of closest approach would be poor timing. To take advantage of this, missions would need to be launched prior to that date (how long before can be figured out, but I don't know the data to do so). If you launch on the day when Mars and Earth are closest, you'll immediately begin chasing Mars and the trip will not be optimal. If instead you launch before hand, you're travelling towards mars while it's travelling towards you. The rate of movement may be so minimal that it won't make a difference, but I don't know.
No, it would have had to have been launched before the date of closest approach. If you launched a probe, etc. at Mars (coming towards you), they'll meet up much sooner than if you launch on the date when Earth and Mars are actually nearest (since they're traveling towards each other). If you actually ended up launching on the day that Earth and Mars are closest, then Mars would be moving *away* from the probe shortly after launch, thus making it harder to get to.
Get your affairs in order, the end is near! This would be the perfect time for the Zhti Ti Kofft, as the Martians call themselves, to invade and conquer.
The Uncoveror: It's the real news.
Space.com
abc.net.au
Telescopes-Astronomy.com - lots of details about suitable telescopes etc.
As an aside, about an earlier event fromThe Universe Today:
A rare astronomical event will occur in May 1999- Mars will be the closest it ever gets, only 52.8 million miles. In addition, the Red Planet is in opposition, which means its face is completely lit up by the Sun. Amateur astronomers will be able to see normally obscure features like the polar caps and canyons.
An Indian-American Hindu committed to non-violent thought/speech/action alarmed by the global explosion of radical Islam
I think there was a linked slashdot article which had a purdy flash animation to explain all the physics involved in sending stuff to mars. Although I don't think the recently launched probes will have arrived there just yet.. I thought it was 9 months or something around that.
In other news, it has been suggested that eating fast food will make you gain weight and that watching Real TV will make you sterile.
For global views of Mars check here, however at this time of year (August) Mars is enveloped in planet wide dust storms, so the view is going to be obfuscated by all that red grit...if you want to check out before and during storm pics then click here.
many more pics available from the Mars Global Surveyor: Mars Orbiter Camera (MOC)here.
Do you need a website upgrade?
That's no mars, it's a space station!
There is an interesting follow-up thread in the Hick Tech Center's message boards. Check it out
Here's the Snopes entry on it. Essentially, while it's technically true that this is the closest pass in 60,000 years or so, to most observers there won't be any appreciable difference between this pass and the semi-close passes it makes every 15 years or so. The interest lies mainly in how this makes it more easy to launch probes. (and note the similarity in wording between the Snopes version and the post. Hmmm...)
Bush: He's Liberal in all the wrong ways.
Got the wife and kids in a truck, and we're gonna head to the hills for a while. Got meself a shotgun... just in case those Martians come for ME!
Sorry, but my karma just ran over your dogma.
this means itll be easier for the martians to invade us.
oh noooooo............
But it's NOT the best time to send something to Mars. It would have been best to launch something about a year and a half ago, when mars and earth were moving towards each other, and have the probe REACH Mars when it starts getting farther away.
"Sometimes, I think Trent just needs a cup of hot chocolate and a blankie." -Tori Amos on Nine Inch Nails
Users of Celestia (the stunning open-source galaxy simulator) can verify this and a whole lot of other space events as Mars is, at August 27, 0.373 AU from Earth. When I'm typing this, Mars seems to be 0.410 AU from Earth.
1 AU = 149,597,870.691 km
0.373 AU = 55800005 km
0.410 AU = 61335126 km
The values seem to be slightly off (by around 1%) when compared to the article's shortest distance, from the approximated planetary orbits.
Beware: In C++, your friends can see your privates!
It's fairly big already - about 20 arcseconds I should think - and I've taken a look a few times already the past few days (in my 10" F5 reflector, 4mm ultrawide plossl eyepiece, magnification about 300x). Why look now before opposition? Because it has already passed it's maximum declination in mid-to-late July, even then at about only 25 degrees above the horison where I am, and is now getting lower each night. Even at maximum elevation it was so low that atmospheric distortion mucks up the image quite badly.
In fact, although this is supposed to be the closest opposition for maybe the past 60,000 years, the low elevation means it's not really such a great observation opportunity for astronomers in the northern hemisphere. I was just about able to make out the southern polar cap and some blurred greyish surface features in the southern hemisphere.
If you live further South though, there should be some really spectacular views with Mars almost overhead. And it's so bright that you don't need a large telescope - just a good one. And an equatorial mount is a must, because the damn thing moves so fast.
there's always the astronomy pic of the day
And for those of us with OSX, there's a macosxhints article that helps you rotate your desktop pic with the APotD
When will I end this grieving ? When will my future begin ?
"... this is probably the reason for all the Mars probes launched over the last few months."
Umm... yes, exactly as has been mentioned in most articles mentioning those probes. Seriously, it's not a matter of speculation. Its been quite obvious for some time that several probes have been launched in response to this event.
2xUS, 1 European & 1 Japanese probe.
Of those to whom much is given, much is required.
The argument in this thread is strictly referencing the probability of Space Organizations launching probes and research vessels to take advantage of a Mars proximity - which is occuring now.
Thats why the probes are already on their way and will arrive within 4 months.
That there is a probability is really quite besides the point, it is a certainty that we are talking about. Spirit and Opportunity, Beagle 2, and Nozomi were all planned and launched specifically for this beautiful exploration opportunity.
--"The perfect example of the man of action is the suicide." - William Carlos Williams
Slashdot has just made "Close Encounters of the Mars Kind" the most read story in the recorded history of Elite Geek (and by quite a large margin).
it seems like amateur astronomy has gone onto the back burner for kids these days. Finally! an excuse to find and set up my old telescope
Good luck in hell.
Actually the Japanese probe was launched over a year ago (can't remember the exact launch date) and suffered a engine failure. They did some orbit changes and had it swing by Earth agian before heading to Mars a second time. This time how ever it's on a free trajectory and shouldn't need much engine use. They are running extremely low on fuel though and some of the parts have begun to fail. They're not completely sure the probe will make it. But it does result in a swarm of probes heading towards Mars and hopefully will result in alot of data coming back from various parts of the planet and from orbit all at the same time which will give scientist a better overal view of the planet.
Source: My E-Mail.
That isn't fair! My teachers would never let me reference my email when turning in a paper. >:-(
MARS 2003 Pictures
Every year, amateurs and their techniques are improving. This team of Germans, with their Astro-Physics 10" Maksutov-Cassegrain telescope are on the cutting edge of amateur astrophography.
For those who are running linux and want to track Mars (among other things), you can use KStars to do just that. KStars with telescope control can be checked out from the CVS now.
Here is a screenshot showing KStars tracking the moon.
>> "...this is probably the reason for all the Mars probes launched over the last few months."
Gee, d'ya think?
Hopeless, hopeless.
-- Slashdot: When Public Access TV Says "No"
I'm having t-shirts made with the phrase Klaatu Baraada Nictu on the front and
1) Near Earth collision
2) Invasion by martians
3) T-Shirts in designer colors
4) ???
5) Profit
on the back.
Girlfriend looked up into the sky and said oooohhhh isnt that a big star. Deary me! replies he, thats no star viewed from afar, thats just a plantet, get it right god damitt!
"According to Agg over at OCAU, this is probably the reason for all the Mars probes launched over the last few months."
Does this really need to be said?
Mix the failings of Usenet with the shortcomings of the World Wide Web and the result is slashdot.
Wouldn't it be great if Shenzhou-5 had a few "undisclosed capabilities" such as planetary landings, and the Chinese decided to shock the world and be the first to Mars. For all of you out there that know more than I about the hardware needed, distances involved and the orbital mechanics of it, would this be within the realm of possibility?
Belief that Perspectives matter more than Facts = Mark of the Truly Ignorant
In December 2001, I interviewed the Medical Director of the Mars Society for Cyberista. The story is here. Everybody in that organization is superb in their field. Dr. Czarnik was an excellent interview subject.
Laws are for people with no friends.
At the beginning of August, Mars will rise in the east at 10 p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m.
I would have thought, whatever its azimuth is at any given time, there it is already.
I think it would be great if some national radio show would rerun Orson Wells radio adaptation of the H.G. Wells classic "war of the worlds" which aired on halloween night in the 30's. For those of you who never heard it, it so panicked the east coast that most of it's residents thought the martians had invaded the world LOL
An article in the Most popular mars daily paper reads:
Little green men on Mars are being warned about the upcoming close encounter with our appearently beautiful neighbor, Earth.
The inhabitants of the planet Earth are known to be greedy, territorial and suicidal (they have enough nuclear power to blow their planet 10 times over. We still don't understand why they call our planet "The God of War"). They have already consumed their home planet, and are expected to be looking towards us during this encounter. Some of them may even try to hop on to our side. Reports confirm 2 or 3 rocket ships launched earlier this year moving towards Mars.
Continue staying underground in caves. Build no canals, humanoid faces or any other structures on the surface reflecting presence of intelligent life on our planet. continue the planet wide dust storm as it will repel the earthlings.
Earth will probably stink because of high leavels of pollution.
---
The secret source of humor is not joy but sorrow; there is no humor in Heaven.
-- Mark Twain
nt
of the 2003 distance in 2208, a 0.007% difference - and came within 12,000 miles in 1924, which is 0.03%, according to The Opposition Cycle Of Mars, by Jeffrey Beish.
I don't like to question the submitters, but this has to be one of the most questionable references I've ever seen here.
How about next time quoting somebody from an orgnaization that is involved with the spacecraft? NASA, ESA (European Space Agency), NASDA (Japan's Space Aerospace Agency) and even CSA (Canadian Space Agency) have all got hardware on the way and probably could provide a inforamtion that is more useful and authoritative than what was put here.
A good start would be explaining why you would want to send spacecraft when the planets are close together. My understanding is that they were launched to save fuel (ie the latest US Rovers were launched on Delta IIs rather than Titans because the close proximity of Mars allows this). As for why, I have no idea because I would have thought it would take as much energy climbing out of Earth's gravity well regardless of how far away the target is.
myke
Mimetics Inc. Twitter
Hauled out my little 8" equatorial reflector to a dark sky site Friday night and had spectacular resolution of surface features. Southern polar cap was crystal clear as were many other surface features that I can't describe very well without a map of Mars handy. That was only at 120-240x. 2 years ago, at the last opposition, I looked at Mars through a scientific grade 12" refractor, and it was just a featureless orange ball. This year is much better. The closeness aspect isn't really so much of an improvement (from an observational standpoint) as the lack of dust storms. I just hope I get a chance to point the big refractor at it again this time around.....
Agg must be a friggin rocket scientist to put those to together, or not for reiterating the obvious.
Planetary travel is all about delta V.
I might have my funny bone out of whack today, but I laughed, ummm, my ass out at the ... ah ... comparative astronomy ;) (No, it's not a redirect.)
This explains why Mars has been so clear and bright in the night sky in recent weeks. A distinctly orange tinted bright light in the sky to the south...
It's going to be great watching the data come back from the 4 (I think) probes to Mars. There should be a lot of interesting video and photos over the next couple months. I hope all of the probes make the journey in one piece.
BTW. Anyone know how "spread out" these probes are supposed to land? I hope that at least one is aimed at one of the polar regions.
One more thing, to all people who say, "So what, Mars almost as close every 15 years." Well, how long do you expect to live? Every 15 years is somewhere between 3-5 chances in the average lifetime. So, go stare at Mars for a while, it isn't this "big" in the sky every day ya know.
Trouble is for us Northern Hemisphere dwellers that the close Mars opposition happens 1) with Mars in a low-declination constellation like Scorpius or Sagitarius, putting it down on the horizon and down in the murk, and 2) at the peak of mosquito season. How are you folks in Oz looking forward to Mars viewing?
Some sort of weird thing is going on in Northern New Jersey. Not sure what it is, but evidently there was some kind of an explosion and communications with a town was lost...
This is my sig.
Couple of quick links.
Mars in 2003: Which Side Is Visible?
http://skyandtelescope.com/
Mars at Its All-Time Finest
http://skyandtelescope.com/
My Paintball Pics
I say, the terrorists have hidden WMD on mars, and are pointing the LASER to earth. Bush better give nasa $500 billion to make a space battleship fleet and colonize, i mean liberate Mars!!!!
Liberty freedom are no1, not dicks in suits.
Could you not be bothered to find out for sure? Why is your source for this non-information a web site about overclocking?
Oh, wait, it's okay. This isn't real journalism.
But it blocks my view of Venus!
Marvin
whatever you do, don't click on the parent post's so-called "ASS-tronomy pic of the day." It is just a goatse.cx redirect!
Huh? It's just a picture of the rings around Uran -- oh, never mind.
Ooh, a sarcasm detector. Oh, that's a real useful invention.
What's really funny is that the window for launching the probes was mentioned every freaking time one of them went up, but apparently international news isn't as reputable a source as "elitegeek".
Clear, Dark Skies
are a million to one...
but still, they come!
Starry Night has released a nice little util that tracks the approach to mars. Its pretty neat.
Runs on osX and win.
http://www.starrynight.com/MarsEncounter/
I was noticing that. It would be interesting to learn the the history of that article, whether the post was first or the Snopes one.
Did you mount a military-grade, variable-focus MASER on an unlicensed artificial intelligence?
Thanks for you interest, "Agg", yes, that is correct.
IBM Lawyers: Mr. Darl McBride, if you'll please follow us to our conference room, we think we've found a solution which will prove beneficial to both parties.
[A few minutes later]
What? Oh, this is just our new office -- modern arco and such. Watch your head.
Yes, just strap yourself in nice and tight. Normal proceedure. We'll be right back, we've got to go fetch our documents.
*door locks*
~Dalcius
Rome wasn't burnt in a day.
Deography Photoblog
I quickly snapped some pics of Mars tonight before the storm clouds rolled back in. This is probably what you can expect to see through a pair of binoculars or telescope throughout the middle of August.
http://www.techfreakz.org/astro2/?slide=25
Oh, and you don't have to live in a dark area to see it. The pics were taken 15 miles outside of NYC.
I was wondering what that great big red dot in the sky was.
Oh wait, I'm hung over.
According to http://www.earthsky.com/2003/es030826.html
--
that might explain why the global weather goes insane this summer, China has been experiencing the hottest summer in the last 60 years, and the whole British Columbia is burning which forced the provincial government asks 7,000 people to evacuate.
"At a modest 75-power magnification, Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye."
Uh, I'm not sure about other people's naked eyes, but mine only do a modest 1-power.
Who is this guy, the 6 million dollar man?
"The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance - it is the illusion of knowledge." - Daniel Boorstin
No one would have believed in the first years of the twenty-first century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's... ...Yet across the gulf of space, minds that are to our minds as ours are to those of the beasts that perish, intellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.
I believe I saw that joke for the first time on Futurama. The old professor says it.
Hi, I've created a small animation representing this close encounter. It is available here: http://orsa.sourceforge.net/atwork.html Hope you like it! --Pasquale
On the 27th there will be a new moon, which will make Mars even better to watch.
The "(next to the moon)" looks like it was added as a correction, but it's more misleading than true. Mars will be the brightest object in the night sky that night.
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, Mars will rise in the east at 10 p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m. But 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. And now for something completely different... I read your question about wanting to know who did the song for the Underworld Trailer and the correct answer would be Artist: Agent Provocateur, Song : Red Tape. Just in case you haven't found out yet. :) His stuff is amazing but what people don't realize this music was originally released in 1984. Thank God that people are finally realizing talent from long ago!!!
That is a bunch of crap! I have a meade 114mm, and I went out last night 10mm eyepiece 1000mm focal length or 100X magnification, it was only as big as a BB.