ASTRONOMY UPDATE: Mars
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Lifecrafter
Member # 34
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written Wednesday, August 27 2003 15:18
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Just thought you all might like to know, if you don't already: tonight (the 27th) Mars will be the closest to Earth it has been in over 60,000 years (something like 34,000,000 miles). If you have a telescope, use it! You can't miss it: it's the brightest thing in the sky, looks really big, and really orange. Have fun! -------------------- Sharka, a two-ton white rhino, got amorous with Dave Alsop's car when he stopped with three friends to take pictures of the animal mating with his partner Trixie at the West Midland Safari Park. —CNN's website, 4/22/04 Note the value of commas. Try reading the sentence out loud. Posts: 702 | Registered: Wednesday, October 3 2001 07:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 3388
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written Wednesday, August 27 2003 15:31
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yeah yeah, it's been all over the news here in holland.. too bad the weather gods decided that summer should end at the exact same time here. It's been cloudy and rainy today after a record summer-drought  -------------------- Many an ancient lord's last words have been, "You can't kill me because I've got magic aaargh." -Terry Pratchet ---- "Never build a dungeon you wouldn't be happy to spend the night in yourself. The world would be a happier place if more people remembered that." -Lord Vetinari Posts: 49 | Registered: Monday, August 25 2003 07:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 3320
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written Wednesday, August 27 2003 16:07
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Sorry if we took all the rain in America.  I can't look at it either because the sky is cloudy here as well. Dang!!!! That makes me angry. I miss all the good stuff.  Oh, well. Maybe someone will take pictures of it and post it over the internet.  -------------------- Mrs. Peacock: "Everything all right?" Colonel Mustard: "Yep. Two Corpses. Everything's fine." "Keep your wits about you, the game is afoot!!" - Sherlock Holmes Posts: 935 | Registered: Friday, August 8 2003 07:00 |
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Erudite*
Member # 3042
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written Wednesday, August 27 2003 18:33
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It's not cloudy here, but It'll probably be a few hours before Mars is visible where I am. -------------------- The Club of All Chance Forums I was once member #2475, but then my account was deleted because of a bug. Post count=406+whatever it says below. Posts: 402 | Registered: Thursday, May 29 2003 07:00 |
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Guardian
Member # 2080
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written Wednesday, August 27 2003 18:41
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Hmmmm... one of these here days, I must actually look at the planet that's named after me. Now would be good, but I'm not sure if the Mississippi sky will allow it(stupid sky always ruining things). Posts: 1918 | Registered: Sunday, October 13 2002 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 65
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written Wednesday, August 27 2003 21:23
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Luckily we had a clear night and I had a nice view of Mars  . Unfortunatly I didn't wear any shoes and stepped on a piece of glass -------------------- ...a sadist is only someone that is terribly nice to a masochist... Want to find out how nasty you really are? visit:http://www.thespark.com/ now! Also look at my site here This is also a good site Posts: 650 | Registered: Thursday, October 4 2001 07:00 |
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Agent
Member # 464
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written Thursday, August 28 2003 04:53
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quote:Me too!  It'll be bright throughout September, I think. So there'll be more chances of seeing it. -------------------- You go girl! All are lunatics, but he who can analyze his delusion is called a philosopher. - Ambrose Bierce If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried. Posts: 1158 | Registered: Monday, December 31 2001 08:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 18
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written Thursday, August 28 2003 05:48
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Yeah, it's still out here, and it's stinking rotten HUGE. Third brightest thing in the sky by my count Md. Posts: 304 | Registered: Monday, October 1 2001 07:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 496
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written Thursday, August 28 2003 08:04
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Mars will be around for ages, if fractionally less close each night. As I'm on nights, I keep with this stuff. More interesting staring at the sky in the yard than the terminal on my desk. Remember the lunar eclipse a few months back. The other guys were all standing around the yard looking up and complaining they couldn't see the moon. "It's an effing eclipse", I told them, "Of course you can't it!" Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Thursday, August 28 2003 08:46
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I had a wonderful Mars view too last night... I wonder, have any 'prophets' written anything about this, like Nostradamus or others? Some of them could calculate when Mars would come close, and Nostradamus seems just the sort who'd attach a meaning to it, like 'end of the world', etc... -------------------- "And all should cry, Beware, Beware! His Flashing eyes, his Floating hair!" S. T. Coleridge --- "It is as if everyone had lost their sense Consigned themselves to downfall and decadence And a wisp it is they have chosen as their beacon." Reinhard Mey. --- Quote of the Week: "I have a high opinion of myself, which makes up for my total lack of intelligence." Anon. Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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Shock Trooper
Member # 1207
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written Thursday, August 28 2003 11:17
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I should really go out and see it in a minute maybe. Since it's nighttime... but it's been raining for half the day (and I broke my umbrella!  ) so I probably won't see it...And anyway how could you not know about it??  It's been all over the TV and the newspapers for the past week! (There was a cool foto of it in the Metro )-------------------- ~ørangutan I want high-bit characters in my displayed name!!! :( :( :( (Or at least an exclamtion point!) Eat pie! BADGER! Posts: 316 | Registered: Saturday, May 25 2002 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 2445
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written Thursday, August 28 2003 12:49
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Ack! I can't find it ANYWHERE! And we have lovely clear skies up in Canerder too. Where is in respect to say, the Big Dipper? -------------------- Aces off. Posts: 611 | Registered: Friday, January 3 2003 08:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 3388
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written Thursday, August 28 2003 13:57
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it is actually directly opposite to the big dipper in the sky.. the big dipper should be close at the horizon to the NNW at 0:00 AM, and Mars should be to the SSE at that point, also quite low. At about 20:30 PM, Mars has started to rise in the ESE, probably while it's still light. By 1:20 AM, Mars will be directly south, and on 6:00 AM it will start to sink beneath the western horizon. I got this info from a dutch website, and the height may differ in ontario, lower as you live more to the north, and higher to the south.. Ontario is quite big compared to Holland so you could live either more to the north or more to the south than me [ Thursday, August 28, 2003 13:59: Message edited by: Borc ] -------------------- Many an ancient lord's last words have been, "You can't kill me because I've got magic aaargh." -Terry Pratchet ---- "Never build a dungeon you wouldn't be happy to spend the night in yourself. The world would be a happier place if more people remembered that." -Lord Vetinari Posts: 49 | Registered: Monday, August 25 2003 07:00 |
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Infiltrator
Member # 2445
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written Thursday, August 28 2003 15:00
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Thanks! -------------------- Aces off. Posts: 611 | Registered: Friday, January 3 2003 08:00 |
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Lifecrafter
Member # 3320
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written Thursday, August 28 2003 21:38
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Did you know that the Mayan calander and the calanders of several other ancient cultures all stated that the world will come to an end in 2012?!?! I'm superstitious or anything, but I find that rather creepy. Most of Nostradamus's predicitions, have, in fact, come true. Scary when you think about it, eh? I am kinda worried about achieving things in life before 2012. Anyone else here get creeped out by that prediction? -------------------- Mrs. Peacock: "Everything all right?" Colonel Mustard: "Yep. Two Corpses. Everything's fine." "Keep your wits about you, the game is afoot!!" - Sherlock Holmes Posts: 935 | Registered: Friday, August 8 2003 07:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 496
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written Friday, August 29 2003 04:55
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Which ones? Like how the German river "Hister" was actually the German tyrant "Hitler", or the opposite of that? Hm. The trouble with millenial prophecies s that they tend to be self-fulfilling. If people think society will break down in nine years time, they disregard its conventions and so it does. Didn't happen in 2000 though, for all the Y2K hype. Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
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Law Bringer
Member # 2984
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written Friday, August 29 2003 12:55
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I have a theory that in 2030 the world will end. Or sometime shortly before that. Nothing to do with good ol' Nosty of course, but the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. It speaks of the Vogons destroying the Earth "nearly 2000 years after some guy had been nailed to a tree" (Jesus reference). Since most sources speak of Jesus dying in the Year 30, 2030 or somewhat earlier would be the time of the apocalypes. [/sarcasm] Admit that you thought I was being serious at first... -------------------- "And all should cry, Beware, Beware! His Flashing eyes, his Floating hair!" S. T. Coleridge --- "It is as if everyone had lost their sense Consigned themselves to downfall and decadence And a wisp it is they have chosen as their beacon." Reinhard Mey. --- Quote of the Week: "I have a high opinion of myself, which makes up for my total lack of intelligence." Anon. Posts: 8752 | Registered: Wednesday, May 14 2003 07:00 |
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This Side Towards Enemy
Member # 3098
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written Friday, August 29 2003 12:56
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Most of Nostradamus' predictions are, in fact, not worth the paper they're written on. And I have to wonder why exactly the Mayans know more than we do. Over enthusiastic ritual sacrifice may teach you some valuablke things about practical anatomy, but anybody who thinks that groups of people were wise just because they were massacred by other people even more determinedly vicious and innovatingly nasty than they deserves to be sucker punched in the street. -------------------- Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned I'll tell you my story, man Though I wish I'd never been born I'm loose at the seams, I've broken my dreams And my hand it shakes the pen Come on, come on now baby, Let the good times roll again Posts: 961 | Registered: Thursday, June 12 2003 07:00 |
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Shaper
Member # 496
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written Saturday, August 30 2003 03:59
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Traditionally, the Crucifixion was AD33, but astronomical discoveries now suggest Christ was rather unfortunately born 4 BC ('Before Christ'!) assuming He was born at all, so I guess that puts the Vogon apocalypse off until 2026. I'm worried. As to the Mayans, they only calculated their years as 365 and a quarter days, so they're probably way out by now anyway. I'm surwe the process of the equinoxes musty have worked wonders when it came to calculating harvest time over the course of centuries. Posts: 2333 | Registered: Monday, January 7 2002 08:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 3404
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written Monday, September 1 2003 07:56
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I have two things to say. A.I could not see Mars because the sky was very cloudy with smoke frome the factories. Damn Urban living. B.In the book of Revelation the year the end of the world would come was never mentiond. So the end of the world could happen any year. But I don't think it will end for many of years to come, and by that point I'll be dead so I don't worry about it. And I think people will destroy the earth by starting a Nuclier War. -------------------- "I am young, I am twenty years old:yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow." All QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT. Posts: 51 | Registered: Thursday, August 28 2003 07:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 2870
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written Monday, September 1 2003 08:20
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Bugers? Boogers? how do you spell it? I beieve that the world will come to an end when all the people of Alpha Centauri all pick their bugers, put them all into a big pile, and launch it straight to Earth. It will impact on the place where all these nukes are stored, blowing THOSE up, and the world shall be showered with bugers and radiation. Russia, India, Pakistan, and everyone else will think that this is an attack by an enemy and everyone will use all their biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons all at once. Then everyone will start shooting all the conventional weapons in case anyone accidentally survived. The radiation confuses all the weapons and they all go to Mount Everest in the Himalayas. Since the Himalayas are caused by two plates pushing against each other, the weapons are going on a direct course to the core of the earth. The president of the U.S.A. orders that all the bombs be dropped on to where the missles are headed. He is so brainless that he does not realize that this will just make it easier for the weapons to go to the core of the earth. All the bombs change the chemicals of the mountains and then a volcano erupts and reacts violently with the chemically changed moutains. By now everyone in China, India, Bangladash, etc. is dead, infected, irradiated, or burning up. Now the core of the earth is lying exposed for all the weapons. The nukes make it there first and the core is blown up and the whole world is exploded and everyone is dead. A big chunk heads for mars and crashes there, causing a big change in orbit, bringing it to Earth's orbit. Eventually the rest of earth hits mars and the moon orbits mars. Life develops and Earth/Mars is gigantic. The end. I too saw mars but it was not as remarkable as I expected. My friend has a telescope, however, and hopefully he will be able to send me some pictures. -------------------- All your base are belong to us!!!! http://people.cornell.edu/pages/slp29/ayb.html Posts: 138 | Registered: Saturday, April 12 2003 07:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 61
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written Monday, September 1 2003 09:07
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quote:The Mayan calender is quite accurate(in keeping the date that is). The 1990 solar eclipse over Mexico City was predicted by the Mayan calender to the correct day(this is also an example of thier advanced astronomy for the time). Now about the world ending in 2012, that is not exactly true. According to Mayan mythology, 2012 would be the comming of a new age(and the end the Mayan calender, after which it would restart at the begining)(the last age ended with the 1990 Mexico City solar eclipse)*, and it would not cause the destruction of the world, but rather a series of major catastrophies(sp?).** edit: Also, the mayan calender didn't follow the seasons, so there was no need know the exact length of the year. *This is wrong, the last age did not end in 1990, but ends on 12/21/2012 **Doing some more reading, it seems that it is not major catastrophies that will happen, but instead major changes(to humanity?) will occur. [ Monday, September 01, 2003 09:33: Message edited by: Tycho Maudd ] -------------------- I love talking about nothing, its the only thing I know anything about. Posts: 158 | Registered: Thursday, October 4 2001 07:00 |
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Apprentice
Member # 3388
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written Monday, September 1 2003 10:23
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lol @ party animal's story, even though it is a bit lengthy anyway, if you want great pictures of mars, you've got to check out hubble's pictures during the close encounter.. no earth based telescope can get such detail as hubble can! -------------------- Many an ancient lord's last words have been, "You can't kill me because I've got magic aaargh." -Terry Pratchet ---- "Never build a dungeon you wouldn't be happy to spend the night in yourself. The world would be a happier place if more people remembered that." -Lord Vetinari Posts: 49 | Registered: Monday, August 25 2003 07:00 |
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Warrior
Member # 3404
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written Tuesday, September 2 2003 15:34
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Your story of how the world will end Party Animale is ill logical. But now that you brought up India and Pakistain you do make a point. India and Pakistain does stand a treat. I don't think Russa intends to use there weapons, see the Russian Mob sells nuclier weapons that are manufactored in Russa to groups like the Alqueda. So I do not consider Russa a treat, India and Pakistain however do intend to use there weapons. The India-Pakistain segment of Party Animals topic was the only thing that made sense. -------------------- "I am young, I am twenty years old:yet I know nothing of life but despair, death, fear, and fatuous superficiality cast over an abyss of sorrow." All QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT. Posts: 51 | Registered: Thursday, August 28 2003 07:00 |
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Master
Member # 1046
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written Tuesday, September 2 2003 16:14
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but JF, he was joking around! -------------------- Urban wisdom is not actual wisdom. It's more like the seemingly philosophical statements that sometimes leak out of my strange mind through my mouth, or in the case of message boards, my hands. -------------------- Clan Xeon - Warcraft III clan Polaris - Weather Balloons YAY Undead Theories - Don't Ask, Don't Tell Posts: 3323 | Registered: Thursday, April 25 2002 07:00 |
