[Roundtable] [Fwd: [Cub-L]: Astronomy BONUS]

[Geoff Peacock]

Something interesting to share with your kids this month.

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MARS ATTACKS! - CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH MARS

This month Earth is catching up with Mars, in an encounter
that will culminate 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, causing a perturbation
of 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 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 mag-
nification, Mars will look as large as the full moon to he 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 it's 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.

Share this!

NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN.









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As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
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