The August Skies

Hi, friends,

Someone has just sent me an amazing poiwer point which I cannot share with you via this page, but I can tell you that it is about a spectacular view of the Planet Mars during the month of August.  It will be closer to Earth than at any other time during our lifetimes, and possibly for a thousand years.

It will rise in the east sometime after nightfall, and one report says that because of certain gravitational pulls from other planets, it will look as large as our Moon to the naked eye as it comes up.  I'm a bit skeptical of that bit, but it is supposed to be quite a view. Towards the end of August it will be rising later, and setting around midnight.

I don't think it makes any difference where you are on Planet Earth to be able to see this.   Just find a clear evening, look east after sunset, and you should see something "red".  That's Mars.

Happy viewing,

Helen

If the claim is true that is going to be some spectacle! Do you have a link or some reference to it?

Just need the weather to be clear so we can see it!

My apologies, folks!  The email and power point I received is a hoax, but here is a reliable scientific presentation on Mars if you care to check it out.  And Mars is visible in the west, apparently, not the east.  So sorry!!!                http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/best-time-to-see-mars-in-2010 

Helen

Helen,

I understand your how you must be feeling about being Hoaxed ! It happened to me last year...and I shared it with LW . To  my chagrin, it was questioned almost immediately, and then  I was informed by people in the know,  that I had been hoaxed.... lil' ol' red in the faced me!  Funny thing was I had I had saved the same powerpoint from two years prior, and did'nt realiaze it....Those nasty little baskets had changed the dates !  Oh well, it is always good to raise an eyebrow now and again on these e-mails unless half the world is jumping up and down about it . With empathy,  Karen

Thank you Helen.

Indeed, not a few people incline to see things in the sky which there are not. That is the why there are ones who hoax on that issue or dissinform.

It was about 15 years ago, I think so,  when I first noticed a star who seemed to me as longer a little as the usual,  and after few swconds I waited and saw no motion I undersood it was not an aircrf, hence a comet.  Some days later I heard the radio talking about Hale-Bopp comet star and all was clear. 

Perhaps if it makes people look up at the glorious skies a bit more, it's worth being hoaxed a little.  After all, we spend most of our lives looking down - at our feet, mostly!  So gazing upward will be good for our psyches, and even our necks.  It will certainly induce in us a sense of wonder.

I look up a lot. We are very close to Gatwick Airport.  Some people whine about the noise that but if you move to such an area, you should be prepared to put up with it. I don't mind at all, in fact, the planes are very pretty flying over at night with all the lights flashing. If I minded I would have picked a different location. There are always Moaning Minnies everywhere.