Mars Passing by for a Visit
I received an email earlier today with the subject “Mars Spectacular.” No, this isn’t “Mars on Ice,” the newest show to hit a skating rink near you (In fact, they’re still trying to prove there was ever water on Mars), but an interesting bit of info stating that this year Mars will be passing within 56 million Km (35 million miles) of the Earth. I found that pretty interesting, but I wanted to look into it.
After a little research (Urban Legends, RedNova News), I’ve found that this isn’t entirely true. Mars will still be passing by very close in October of this year, but only within a mere 68.8 million Km, or 43 million miles! The morning of October 31st will be the best day to see the planet, with scientists predicting the red planet will outshine every object in the night sky, save Venus and the Moon.
So put aside some time, get out your telescopes, and go take a gander on Oct 31 at that crazy red dot in the sky.
