Mars getting cloe to earth on August 23

[Chris Ryser]

This month, the planet Mars gets closer to Earth than at any time for the past 60,000 years. Astronomers around the world will be gazing at the Red Planet, and they will be sharing their telescopes with thousands of members of the public.

In the UK, the astronomical community have designated the week Saturday 23 August to Saturday 30 August National Astronomy Week. During the week, astronomical societies will be opening up their observatories or hauling their telescopes into open spaces to let as many people as possible look at Mars.

http://www.popastro.com/press/marsclose.htm

[Steve Machol]

That was from several years ago: Last modified 13 August, 2003

[icare]

Looks weak:
http://www.snopes.com/science/astronomy/brightmars.asp

[DragonLensmanWV]

Oh, darn! I was getting all prepared to run about madly in circles!

[tdj]

Lol... this forum is so full of conservative end-of-the-world doomsday theorists that this thread could have gone much longer if not for Steve...