little red mars

got this pic of the planet mars taken from my window as soon i read abt mok's blog entry..there it is a pretty little thing so far yet so bright..for more info on this amazing sighting read on

"It's going to be a rare sight so remember - don't miss the opportunity
to view 2 moons in the sky -> 27 AUGUST 2003.

Never again in your lifetime will the Red Planet be so spectacular!

This month and next month the 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 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 12:30
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 grows progressively brighter and
brighter throughout the month.

Share with friends, children and grandchildren and with everyone you
know, as no one alive today will ever see this again."

"u dont know what u got till its gone" - joni mitchell