PocketMatrix

Woohoo...

Cool. I've seen both Mars and Venus alot this summer. I even took a picture with a digicam of Mars appearing right next to the moon. It took me like 15 shots to get a good one, but I finally did. Maybe I'll post it on here later. I need to get it off my MM card first.

Ya, at 12:30 on August 27th Mars will be the closest to the Earth that is has been in over 5,000 years, and won't be this close again for another 220+ years. At 12:30 on the 27th Mars, at 75x magnification, will appear to be as large as the moon does to the naked eye. I've looked at it several times this month and can clearly see two of the moons and fuzzy dark and light regions on the surface. This is just with a regular pair of binoculars. And this was several weeks before the orbits reach an optimum position.

wow. so then it's gonna be REAL close i'd suspect. if you can make out it's 2 moons with binoculars... well i hope the weather will be in my favor on the 27th.

A couple months ago I could see 5 moons around Jupiter since it was relatively close and it was a new moon. It was awesome. And this was all with just a regular old ordinary pair of 50x binoculars that you can buy for cheap at WalMart or any sporting goods store. With 75x binoculars (10x75, 750, it's all the same) Mars will appear as big as the moon does to the naked eye. I just can't get over that. That's dang close! And all uh y'all be sure to weigh yourselves then, because you'll probably be a couple pounds lighter than usualy since it's so close... but I remember that it's going to be a new moon on the 27th, so that means the difference will probably be negated.

Be thankful you guys have rain over there because I am living where we have triple digits a good length of the day and I don't go to sleep until it is cool enough for me (I usually go to bed at 2 a.m.). Also you can go out and go for a run in the rain I just had my 24 hour fittness pass cut and there is no way I am running when it is 108 degrees out side.

Absolutely. I love cloudy weather and downpours. The heat index was 102*F today, Actually about 88, maybe 92 degrees F, not sure. Nothing like a 108F raw temperature, but still, a bit toasty.

Here in Southwest Iowa, things are really clear... hasn't rained for a bit.

Good gazing weather, then? Mmm-hm.