It's October or year 2287, not Aug. '05, for best Mars view
Submitted on August 5, 2005 - 12:00am.
Ansley Haman - Summer 2005
WASHINGTON – Encouraged by family and friends, many Americans will grab lawn chairs and watch for Mars to be as big as the moon in the Aug. 27 night sky.
But they will be disappointed. The red planet will barely be visible.
An Internet and e-mail rumor about the red planet's “spectacular” brush with Earth is just that, said Todd Bayer, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
“Share this with your children and grandchildren,” the e-mail says. “NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN.”
The actual Aug. 27 encounter occurred in 2003, when Mars was the closest to Earth it had been in 60,000 years, Bayer said. The next such close encounter will be in 2287.
But they will be disappointed. The red planet will barely be visible.
An Internet and e-mail rumor about the red planet's “spectacular” brush with Earth is just that, said Todd Bayer, of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
“Share this with your children and grandchildren,” the e-mail says. “NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN.”
The actual Aug. 27 encounter occurred in 2003, when Mars was the closest to Earth it had been in 60,000 years, Bayer said. The next such close encounter will be in 2287.
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