The ANNOTICO Report

Aug. 27, 2003, Mars was closest to Earth it had been in 60,000 years. The
next such close encounter will be in 2287.

This August 27th is expected to be another good viewing chance, and again
in October. Then we have to wait until 2287.

On Aug. 10, 2005 will be the launch of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. It
will take seven months for the Orbiter to reach Mars. The craft should be
operational by the end of 2006.

That Orbiter will also be able to scan up to a kilometer (1000 meters, or
3900 ft, or 3/4 mile) below the Martian surface, thanks to technology
borrowed from the Italian space program, "It's kind of like Superman's
radar vision."

Scripps Howard Foundation Wire
By Ansley Haman -
Saturday, August 06, 2005

Washington, D.C.-Encouraged by family and friends, many Americans will grab
lawn chairs and watch for Mars to be as big as the moon in the Aug. 27
night sky.

 But they will be disappointed. The red planet will barely be visible.

An Internet and e-mail rumor about the red planet's "spectacular" brush
with Earth is just that, said Todd Bayer, of NASA's Jet Propulsion
Laboratory.

"Share this with your children and grandchildren," the e-mail says. "NO ONE
ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN."

The actual Aug. 27 encounter occurred in 2003, when Mars was the closest to
Earth it had been in 60,000 years, Bayer said. The next such close
encounter will be in 2287.

But previews from the 2003 event promising Mars would be as big as the moon
resurfaced in recent months, misleading many amateur astronomers.

Kevin Jung, president of the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Amateur Astronomical
Association, posted a warning about the e-mail on the group's main Web page
in response to a large number of inquiries about the viewing.

"Even my aunts were asking about it," Jung said.

Mars was brightest in 2003, but even then it didn't look as big as a full
moon, Bayer said. For that to occur, Mars would have to be millions of
miles closer to Earth.

"That would be scary," Bayer said.

Jane Platt, spokeswoman for the Jet Propulsion Lab, said her friends had
mentioned the e-mail and possibility of an August alignment, but she sent
them to www.snopes.com to debunk the myth. The Web site, an "urban legends
reference," lists the myth in the "science" section, near the bottom.

Mars will pass close to Earth this year, but not until Oct. 30, when it
will appear smaller compared to the moon than it did in 2003, according to
NASA reports.

October's encounter, though smaller, could be a better show for amateur
astronomers, Jung said. Mars will be higher in the sky, with less
atmospheric interference.

August will be an active month for Mars research, however, as the lab plans
an Aug. 10 launch of the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter. The craft will be
responsible for high resolution imaging of the planet's surface and other
experiments, Bayer said.

"It's like a camera, but it sees in many, many fine gradations of color,"
Bayer said.

The orbiter will also be able to scan up to a kilometer below the Martian
surface, thanks to technology borrowed from the Italian space program,
Bayer said.

"It's kind of like Superman's radar vision," he said.

The orbiter's August launch coincides with the 26-month cycle of Earth and
Mars conjunction, where the two planets are closest, Bayer said. Scientists
estimate it will take seven months for the orbiter to reach Mars. The craft
should be operational by the end of 2006, Bayer said.

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