[AstroNet] 2 close encounters

[Samir]

In a coincidence of celestial proportions, the Moon and Mars are having close encounters with Earth at the same time.
This Friday night, if you think the Moon looks unusually big, you're right. It's the biggest full Moon of 2010.
Called a "perigee Moon", it will be some 14% wider and 30% brighter than lesser full Moons of the year.
The planet Mars, also at its closest approach, looks bigger through a telescope now than at any time between 2008 and 2014.
Moreover, the two will spend Friday night gliding across the sky side-by-side.

It's a must-see event & presents great Astrophoto-ops: see this sky map.
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2010/images/mars/skymap_north_29jan10.gif

[ Mars is NOT going to look as big as the Moon :) ]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 Samir Dhurde,         Sci./Tech. Staff  - Public Outreach
       IUCAA, Pune University Campus, Pune - 411007, India
       Tel: (O)91-20-25604603         Fax:  91-20-25604699
       http://www.iucaa.ernet.in/~samir
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~