Mars’s closest approach to Earth since 2003, and closest until 2018, is tomorrow night. (The 2003 close encounter was the closest in 60,000 years, as you may recall.)
P.S. The moment when the two planets are closest together is 10:25 PM local time, which is 3:25 AM Sunday morning Greenwich Mean Time. So, according to the official timekeepers across the pond, this Mars-Earth encounter takes place on my birthday!
Speaking of my birthday… Daylight Saving Time ends at 2:00 AM Sunday morning, which means that, if I were living anywhere except Indiana (or Arizona or Hawaii), my birthday would be 25 hours long! But because we don’t observe DST here (yet), we don’t have to set our clocks back for the “return” to Standard Time, so my birthday is only the standard 24 hours long. Poo.
Ha! Now I know why you really want to go to AZ, no DST. The choices next year will only be Arizona and Hawaii. No DST and in-laws nearby makes for a winning combination.
Space.com is reporting that a large dust storm has just began on Mars, just as the Red Planet has gotten in prime viewing location this weekend with a decent sized backyard telescope. An amazing stroke of luck for everyone this weekend!
Right now is also one of the best times of the year to see M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. It’s high in the sky well before midnight, and for the next few days at least there’s no moon. You can find it pretty easily with a pair of binoculars. Just google -andromeda galaxy binoculars- for many sites showing how.
Visually it’s not very impressive, just a dim blob of light. But consider the distances and times involved. It’s about 2.2 million light years away, making it by far the most distant object easily visible by an amateur astronomer.
Interesting coincidence: 2.2 million years roughly corresponds to the beginning of the Jurassic Period on Earth.
Yikes. Did I say Jurassic? I meant, um, never mind.
In double-checking mode now. Some distance estimates have M31 as far as 2.9 million light years. The figure isn’t really well established. At least I had the right order of magnitude for that one.
Right up there in interest level with someone complaining that others aren’t being interesting enough instead of finding something better to do with one’s time, right Phead?
And Aaron, nothing personal. I tend to nitpick on factual matters, particularly ones in science, but I do it to everyone. It’s part of my infuriating personality/charm, depending on one’s point of view–though I uspect there are at least as many in the former category as the latter. :) I figured I’d make that clear, though, as I don’t want to potentially scare off another fellow science nerd.
Don’t be talkin’ about the Jurassic if you don’t Remember it, ya whippersnappers. ;> “…slightly concerned about going senile at 32.” Yeah? Try being utterly Oblivious to it at 57. :) [Which you Will, of course. :]
“…a large dust storm has just began on Mars… An amazing stroke of luck for everyone this weekend!”
Luck, Schmuck. ;> It’s End Times, I keep Tellin’ yez. :)
This is an archived post. Comments are closed.
To leave a comment on a newer post, please visit the homepage.
October 28th, 2005 at 6:34:27 pm
Isn’t your birthday also approaching? :)
October 28th, 2005 at 6:35:01 pm
Yeah, Bea, it is. :) I just added something about it in the post…
October 28th, 2005 at 6:40:24 pm
Ha! Now I know why you really want to go to AZ, no DST. The choices next year will only be Arizona and Hawaii. No DST and in-laws nearby makes for a winning combination.
October 28th, 2005 at 8:40:42 pm
Guess I should take this opportunity to get out the ol’ Orion XT10 scope. If I can manage to get the bulky 90 pound bastard down the stairs again.
October 28th, 2005 at 8:46:36 pm
Oh, in related news, from Slashdot:
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/10/28/226218&from=rss
—–
Space.com is reporting that a large dust storm has just began on Mars, just as the Red Planet has gotten in prime viewing location this weekend with a decent sized backyard telescope. An amazing stroke of luck for everyone this weekend!
—–
October 29th, 2005 at 1:17:56 am
Right now is also one of the best times of the year to see M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. It’s high in the sky well before midnight, and for the next few days at least there’s no moon. You can find it pretty easily with a pair of binoculars. Just google -andromeda galaxy binoculars- for many sites showing how.
Visually it’s not very impressive, just a dim blob of light. But consider the distances and times involved. It’s about 2.2 million light years away, making it by far the most distant object easily visible by an amateur astronomer.
Interesting coincidence: 2.2 million years roughly corresponds to the beginning of the Jurassic Period on Earth.
October 29th, 2005 at 1:50:48 am
Um, Aaron, the Jurassic was from 220 million to 146 million years ago. You’re off by 2 orders of magnitude.
October 29th, 2005 at 2:17:50 am
Wow, nothing like watching someone correct another for being off by 2 orders of magnitude on the Jurassic. Thrilling.
October 29th, 2005 at 2:50:58 am
Yikes. Did I say Jurassic? I meant, um, never mind.
In double-checking mode now. Some distance estimates have M31 as far as 2.9 million light years. The figure isn’t really well established. At least I had the right order of magnitude for that one.
October 29th, 2005 at 3:00:58 am
Right up there in interest level with someone complaining that others aren’t being interesting enough instead of finding something better to do with one’s time, right Phead?
And Aaron, nothing personal. I tend to nitpick on factual matters, particularly ones in science, but I do it to everyone. It’s part of my infuriating personality/charm, depending on one’s point of view–though I uspect there are at least as many in the former category as the latter. :) I figured I’d make that clear, though, as I don’t want to potentially scare off another fellow science nerd.
October 29th, 2005 at 3:06:07 am
Mike,
Not to worry. I don’t scare easily. I am, however, slightly concerned about going senile at 32.
October 29th, 2005 at 12:15:59 pm
It’s part of my infuriating personality/charm, depending on one’s point of view
I love the idea that you have an infuriating charm. :)
October 29th, 2005 at 8:43:07 pm
A ‘24 hour long Poo’ - now *that* is WAY TMI !
October 29th, 2005 at 9:50:50 pm
But he DOES have an infuriating charm. :)
Don’t be talkin’ about the Jurassic if you don’t Remember it, ya whippersnappers. ;> “…slightly concerned about going senile at 32.” Yeah? Try being utterly Oblivious to it at 57. :) [Which you Will, of course. :]
“…a large dust storm has just began on Mars… An amazing stroke of luck for everyone this weekend!”
Luck, Schmuck. ;> It’s End Times, I keep Tellin’ yez. :)