Alright, here the thing, Tonight at 12:30A.M. Planet Mars will be as close to the earth as it's gonn aget until the year 2287. This will culminate Aug 27 and Mars will only be 64.65 Million miles of earth. Supposedly the whole world has been waiting for this day. I am gonna stay up and wait for it. No one alive today will ever see it again. Or my kids, or there kids. Check it out!
Brian.
P.S. I got this info from my neighbor so don't blame me if it doesn't happen.
http://urbanlegends.about.com/od/errata/a/two-moons.htm
Its a hoax that has been going around for a few years now.
Yeah, I just googled it. I feel retarded. sigh. Oh well. live and learn.
;(
However, there is supposed to be a lunar eclipse tomorrow night and a partial solar eclipse on Sept. 11.
Lunar Eclipse (http://"http://www.space.com/spacewatch/070720_ns_eclipse.html")
Solar Elipse (http://"http://zodiacarts.com/whatsup/SolarEclipse.shtml")
Funny, me and my dad were discussing whether the bright planet we were looking at recently was Venus or Jupiter. You made me think for a second that it was Mars, but it didn't have that red glow, so I didn't think it could be. I think I'll have to run that program that tells you where the platets are at any given time. :D
Recently the planet you have been seeing in the Southern sky after dusk til about midnight has been Jupiter. If you want to see Mars, it "rises" about 1 a.m. in the East after Jupiter has already "set". Currently Venus doesn't "rise" until about 6 a.m., then Saturn & Mercury.
When you see Jupiter, grab a pair of binoculars and look at it through them. The tiny dots of light you will see on either side of the planet aren't stars, they are some of Jupiters many moons.
I have found the Heavens Above website to be a great resource for this stuff. It's especially helpful when determining when the ISS will pass overhead.
http://www.heavens-above.com/
Brent
:cougarsmily:
Thanks - I guess I was right. He thought it was Venus, I was sure that Venus is always brighter and I've never seen it that high before (~35°). We had a telescope as a kid and would regularly see up to 3 of Jupiters moons - a real eye opener. I need to get a 'scope & show my kids - blow their minds :D
When is Urb-hole going to show itself?
That's a regular occurence on this board.....
PHB: We've hired the Dogbert Ad Agency to give our company a new image.
Dogbert: I used a computer to suggest a new hi-tech name for your company. The program randomly combines words from astronomy and electronics. The first choice is "Urb-hole-Hertz."
PHB: I like it.
Another reference for ISS and space shuttle viewings, broken down by state and city, no registration required:
http://spaceflight.nasa.gov/realdata/sightings/cities/skywatch.cgi?country=United+States
I watched the lunar eclipse this morning around 430 or so. Almost spooky the way it looked. I am dog tired now though.