If you're in the neighborhood...

[Charlie in Dayton]

...stop in...everyone's cordially invited...

The Great Mars Viewing of 2005
Boonshoft Museum of Discovery
2600 DeWeese Parkway
Dayton, OH 45414
(937) 275-7431
http://www.boonshoftmuseum.org/

Friday, 28 October, 2005
starting at dusk -- approximately 7:00 pm

This will be the second-closest approach of Earth and Mars in 60,000 years -- Mars will appear to be the size of the full moon through a telescope of ~80 power magnification.

The Apollo Observatory with its 20-inch telescope will be open, and Miami Valley Astronomical Society ( www.mvas.org ) will have members in the northwest corner of the Museum parking lot (the corner opposite the Museum building) with personal telescopes and binoculars to show The Red Planet to the public.

Come one come all, to the REAL show that never ends!!!

[Candy]

Hey, this might be doable.

[Wolverine]

If it weren't for the commute, I'd gladly swing by.

[Charlie in Dayton]

There's been a tad's worth of commentary about this 'Mars as big as the Moon' stuff being recycled flummery from '03...

The BA admits in his commentary that "...I read on one website that through a telescope, Mars would look as if it were as big as the Moon, so it's possible that this is where the silliness started...". And he's right...the math backs it all up. Someone that decided to pass all this along in '03 just sorta kinda forgot to put the magnification factor in.

I have had a few relatives forward me the same email recently...the dates in the text hadn't even been changed from 2003. So I made a point to respond to them with the correct dates and the addition that magnification would be needed. My only mistake was estimating the 2005 magnification needed, instead of calculating it.

Were the emails in error? As stated, yes. If you correct the dates, and add the needed magnification factors, the emails were correct. Check it out.

http://www.seds.org/~spider/spider/Mars/mars2003.html
Aug 27, 2003
Closest approach of Mars and Earth (0.373 AU = 55.76 million km). Apparent diameter of Mars is 25.11".

http://www.seds.org/~spider/spider/Mars/mars2005.html
Oct 30, 2005
Closest approach of Mars and Earth (0.464 AU = 69.42 million km). Apparent diameter of Mars is 20.19".

And the math...

25.11" x 75 power = 31.39' The Moon covers ~30'

20.19" x 90 power = 30.29' The Moon covers ~30'

So...yes, this is the second-closest approach of Earth and Mars in ~60,000 years. Yes, with appropriate magnification, Mars will appear as big as a full Moon.

[Candy]

Will you be around, Charlie? tmosher is coming for a visit then, and I'm thinking we could drive over and hang out with you for a few hours.

[Charlie in Dayton]

Ayup, I fully plan to be there, as I went and opened up my big mouth at a club meeting and now I'm co-honcho of the event...ya can't miss me...

[Candy]

Which one are you? There's a lot of people in that photo.

[seohtu]

With the proper magnification, wouldn't Pluto be as big as the full moon?

[Grey]

Hey, Charlie, check your private mail.