It will be a last-chance proposition for all alive today: Mars won't be as close again until August 28, 2287.

Just 55.67 million kilometers (34.6 million miles) of space will separate the two planets on August 27.

If that doesn't sound close, Mars was five times as distant just six months ago.

Already, Mars has begun to loom large in the late evening sky, its rusty twinkle apparent in the southeast.

For the next several weeks the fourth rock from the sun should shine brighter than any other celestial body -- save the moon and Venus.

"Mars you can't miss, it's bright and red," said Myles Standish, an astronomer at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Aldo Vitagliano, of the University of Naples in Italy, calculated that Mars hasn't had as close a brush with Earth since September 12, 57,617 B.C., when Neanderthals ruled but modern man had begun to make inroads.

The red planet still will seem small though. Even though Mars is twice the size of the moon, it will be 145 times as distant.

With binoculars, or better yet a telescope, observers can start to pick out details on the planet's surface.

The view from even a modest telescope should reveal the planet's southern ice cap, Beatty said.

WHERE IS MARS?
The red planet is now in the constellation Aquarius.


Most viewers can see it in the southeast in the hours after sunset.


By midnight, it will be high overhead.


Before sunrise, it will dip toward the southwestern horizon.


Next week, astronomers will send radio waves from antennas on Earth that will bounce off Mars to study the terrain where one of the two NASA rovers is targeted to land in January.

The close proximity will improve the resolution of the radar images, said Albert Haldemann, deputy project scientist for the rover mission.

Planetariums around the world plan Mars-gazing parties beginning the evening of August 26.

And the Hubble Space Telescope is expected to take a close-approach portrait of Mars.

--from CNN--

Tonights the night!!! WE were talkin about this all day at work!!!

I haven't seen it yet But my camera is READY

I'm staying up, cuz if I go to bed I'll miss it. The news said we can see it here at 5:31am

I am so excited!

00769BAD said:

mine too

The best place to see it is here in Australia tonight.

althom said:

Lucky you

Sweeny79 said:

Coming over to watch it with me?

althom said:

Sure, when does your private jet get here to pick me up?

Sweeny79 said:

althom said:

I just stepped outside and it's brilliant. You might want to check it out now though, cuz many stars that I can normally see aren't visible tonight where I'm at. I heard on the weather channel that peak visibility for those in eastern standard time should look right around now.

TRON said:

I'm looking mate, but the sun keeps getting in my eyes.

There's too many city lights! dammit!

althom said:

Oh yeah. When are prime viewing hours for y'all Aussies?

althom said:

That's sssooo wierd!


I'm gonna go look now!

INSATIABLE said:

Go for a drive. It's pretty fuckin' cool. You can't miss it. It's the brightest thing in the sky tonight and you can even make out a faint reddish tint to it. I wish I had my dad's telescope tonight.

TRON said:

I'd have to drive for at least a half an hour... and I've got soup on!

I wish I had your dad's telescope too!

TRON said:

Not until 7pm tonight.

It's amazing, it's a twinkling tinkerbell looking thing! I'm amazed and speachless. I feel so small.

TRON said:

That only applies to people on the Northern hemisphere.

Didn't saw it this morning though, cloudy skies here

AlfofMelmak said:

Oh, I'm sorry it's so beautiful!

TRON said:

I've been watching it all month and waiting for tonight. Wouldn't you know it's cloudy and now can't see a thing.

This will be the day the Earth tilts off its axis due to all the males migrating to one side to connect to their home planet.

Serena said:

Good one.

TRON said:

I'll make a point to see it tomorrow night. You have to step back in time quite a bit to see it this close again.

Damn, it's all overcast and shit so I can't tell if it's on or not.
But it'll be at it'a apex the 27th/28th and by hook or crook
i'll be where i can get them pics.

I just peeped the skies and I cant see shit either.

Tron...thanks for posting this. You got my butt out tonight to go take a look. (2:15am here in Wisconsin) God, what an awesome sight. I feel so small compared to the vastness of the universe. What a peaceful feeling.
Can't we all just get along and try to be happy???

Moonbeam said:

Kylie knows all about it.

Phantasy said:

You're welcome. Pretty cool, eh?

I love astromony!