forwarded by a friend, who was my source.

kate

Subject: FW: SPETACULAR

This is something to look forward to for you and your family.  Mark your
calendars.--

I'm sure that we will be reading more about this!!

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 as no one alive today will ever see this again.