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Showing posts with label Dec 2007. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Dec 2007. Show all posts

Dec 17, 2007

Mars closest to Earth Dec 18

After my posting of a few minutes ago which resulted in all my sentences being underlined mysteriously and annoyingly in each entry, I'm taking a risk with this SpaceWeather post on Mars' closest approach to Earth--but I thought you'd like to know even if it is underlined.

Wonder if it's Blogger, IE, or me? If you have a clue, please let the clueless know!


Space Weather News for Dec 17, 2007:

CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH MARS: Have you noticed an intense red star rising in the east in recent evenings? That's no star, that's Mars. The red planet is having a close encounter with Earth this week. At closest approach on Tuesday evening, Dec 18th, the two worlds will lie only 55 million miles apart. Mars won't be this nearby again until the year 2016. To the naked eye, Mars now outshines every star in the night sky (it is slightly brighter than Sirius) and it looks great through a backyard telescope.

Visit SpaceWeather.com for photos, observing tips and sky maps.

NOTE: While, technically speaking, Mars is at its best and brightest only on Dec 18, the red planet will remain unusually close and beautiful for weeks to come. This makes it a Merry Martian Christmas for anyone who finds a telescope under their tree on Dec 25: Meade.com

GREAT GEMINIDS: The Geminid meteor shower peaked on Dec 14 and 15; as predicted, it was a great show. Some observers counted more than a hundred meteors per hour including fireballs that cast shadows like a full moon and gave off ghostly-sounding radio echoes.

It's all chronicled in our Geminid Gallery here.