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General Category => Science, Technology and Knowledge => Space => Topic started by: 240B on August 01, 2018, 12:35:26 am

Title: Mars Is At Its Closest to Earth Since 2003 Today! It Won't Be Closer Until 2287
Post by: 240B on August 01, 2018, 12:35:26 am

Space.com
By Chelsea Gohd
July 31, 2018 11:54am ET

Early this morning, Mars made its closest approach to Earth since 2003 — but if you missed it, the Red Planet is still a magnificent sight to see in the night sky. Humanity will have to wait 269 years for Mars to get much closer, NASA says.

At 3:50 a.m. EDT (0750 GMT), Mars reached the closest point to Earth in its orbit. The Red Planet hadn't been that close to Earth since August 2003. (And when this last approach occurred, it was the first time in 60,000 years that Mars had come so close.) This occurrence follows last week's Mars event: On Friday (July 27), the Red Planet reached opposition with the sun and remained at its brightest in the night sky through Monday night and early today (July 31).

(more)
https://www.space.com/41329-mars-closest-to-earth-2018.html