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Oh dear…….is Mars coming close?
An email has been circulating among many people, sharing the thrilling information that Mars will present a stunning sight this upcoming August. Images depict it appearing as large as the Moon. According to the email, Mars will be less than 35 million miles away – an occurrence that won’t take place again until 2287.
So is this all true? Or is it just another internet hoax?
In fact, the information in the presentation is entirely accurate – with one minor exception…
The close approach mentioned took place in August 2003, when Mars was at its nearest point in almost 60,000 years.
Mars gets closer to Earth every few years due to their respective orbits around the Sun; however, it doesn’t come unusually near. The next reasonably close encounter is set for 2018.
For those observing Mars, this will be an opportunity worth seizing, though it certainly won’t be as breathtaking as the presentation suggests. Moreover, the striking image included here, which illustrates Mars as comparable in size to the Moon, neglects to mention that Mars had to be magnified 75 times to appear that large versus the Moon as seen without a telescope!
Mars will be visible in the sky. 25 arc seconds will roughly equate to half the apparent size of Jupiter, which is the largest Mars appeared back in 2003.
It will come close again in 2018 and 2035; thus, if you’re eager to observe Mars appearing significantly large through your telescope, you’ll need to be patient until then.
