FreeLists / az-observing / [AZ-Observing] Re: Mars Orbiting Sim

["Jack Jones" <Telescoper@xxxxxxx>]

You have it exactly right Rick. I've fielded dozens of inquiries, from work,
home and family back in Illinois. Below is my response to them, use as you
wish, and also an example of the offending email going around, minus the
side-by-side 'comparison'.
Jack


Hi Guys! Your friendly amateur astronomer here. Send me an email if you have
any questions and feel free to forward this explanation to anyone who is
propagating the email going around about the upcoming favorable opposition of
Mars.

You may or may not have received this or a similar email as of yet (see
below), but they are going around and picking up momentum, some a bit more
misleading than others.

The sensationalism in this is way overboard (kinda like some newscasts and
newspapers) and is causing some confusion on the Net. Yes, Mars will be
spectacular, but the way this is written makes it easy to misinterpret and I
think that's where the confusion is coming from. Notice how the picture
separates "at a modest 75 power magnification" and "big as the full Moon to
the naked eye", plus the large print of the latter and the picture of them
side by side... Come on, it looks purposely done to mislead don't you think?
Some of these emails leave out the pictures and leave a big gap before it says
"big as the full Moon...", and some are being edited to just state that Mars
will be AS big as the full Moon.

The email below mixes up the facts of the 2003 opposition of Mars with the
coming 2005 opposition and gets a lot of other stuff wrong too. It is just the
original 2003 email that has been bouncing around the Net for over two years
and is being resurrected now. It is not August 27th (that was 2003).  The
observing window is late September to early December. It is not 25" diameter
(that was 2003), it is 20" ( " is arcseconds, 1/60 of a minute which is 1/60
of a degree, which is 1/360 of a circle - the Moon is 30 arc-minutes or 1/2
degree in dia). Yes you will need a telescope, buy one or go to one of the
many special events which I'm sure will pop up (Northmoor, Jubilee, Peoria
Astro Soc. etc) and look thru other people's telescopes (OPTs).

 Also it was 25% closer two years ago, so if you didn't see it in August 2003,
then you missed seeing it "as close as it's been in ~60,000 years". . You
won't really be able to tell the difference in size, it's just a few
arcseconds diameter difference between these two favorable oppositions, and at
the next favorable cycle (in another 15 years) it will be almost as big. What
is going to be great is that in 2005 it will be a lot higher in the sky and
that's why it will be big news this time for us. So we see again, size isn't
everything. Remember 1956? '73? Well how about '88? Those were good too.

Jack

                                   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







> Tony,
>
> There's a thread on the internet making its way around telling people to
> watch Mars this summer. It then pretty much cites data from the 2003 three
> opposition and ends with "No one alive today will ever see this again".
>
> Like you I've been getting asked about it quite a bit. One of my coworker
> even asked me what the best day to throw her "Mars Party" would be.
>
> There was a small piece in the Republic this past week (I think it was
> Tuesday or Wednesday) by John Stanley that debunked this bit of internet
> tomfoolery. I've cut it out and use it, rather than try to explain it
> myself. Saves time.
>
> I do take the opportunity to invite them to our Oct 8th Public Star Party at
> T-Bird. Promise them I'll show them Mars.
>
> Rick Tejera


--
See message header for info on list archives or unsubscribing, and please 
send personal replies to the author, not the list.