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."

Comments

Never again in our lifetimes?

[Anonymous Coward]

Speak for yourself. I plan to live to at least 150,000 years of age. I'm sure I'll see better.

Re:Never again in our lifetimes?

[error502]

Well, since time doesn't exist, you have a shot.

Re:Never again in our lifetimes?

[G-funk]

Not to mention if those of us spent less time on slashdot and more time outside, you would simply have noticed the (comparitively) massive red ball in the sky :)

Of course I only noticed coz my little brother called me out, but hey - it's cold out!

Bad Joke Alert

[jeffkjo1]

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?

Re:Bad Joke Alert

[Izago909]

But when are they going to probe Uranus?

Scientists renamed that planet in the year 2354 to end that old joke once and for all. It's now known as Urectum.

"Afer all, who needs courage when you have a gun?"
-Prof Hubert Farnsworth

Re:Bad Joke Alert

[Mard]

Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day was frightening, having just read this thread. :p

Damn it I won't be able to sleep at night now...

[Anonymous Coward]

You can see those scary faces all over the surface of Mars. They are watching me .... nooooo....

A little... too close

[tbase]

Over 570 items on eBay alone, and now this! Keep your eyes out for broom-adorned helmets!

Why go to Mars?

[Hackie_Chan]

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...

Place that bet

[AndyFewt]

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.

The end is near!

[uncoveror]

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.

uh-oh

[Anonymous Coward]

That's no mars, it's a space station!

Head to the hills, mama!

[wiggys]

I don't know about you but this creeps me right out! I've just been reading this book (guy at work tells me its a transcript of a radio news bulletin) and I'm kinda scared right now.

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!

Re:Obligatory Zubrin post...

[EverDense]

now would be a very good time to put some of the principlesinto practise and land someone on Mars!

Preferably someone that I don't like.
Preferably without a space suit.

Re:Maps of Mars, including dust storm

[twostar]

How can a planet be enveloped in more the one Planet Wide storm? :D

Dude....

[Cable_Monkey]

Source: My E-Mail.

That isn't fair! My teachers would never let me reference my email when turning in a paper. >:-(

D'Ya Think?

[reallocate]

>> "...this is probably the reason for all the Mars probes launched over the last few months."

Gee, d'ya think?

Hopeless, hopeless.

Saw it last night

[mholt108]

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!

Headlines in Martian Times

[vikrant]

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

Just heard on the radio...

[tjstork]

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...

Perhaps if there are WMD on mars.....

[cheekyboy]

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!!!!