BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Red Planet set for close approach

Mars is set for a close encounter with Earth, approaching to within 69.4
million km (43.1 million miles) of our planet in the early hours of Sunday.
With good conditions and a lack of cloud, amateur astronomers will be able to
get an unusually good look at Mars.

The Red Planet will not swing this close to Earth for another 13 years.

More at http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4384700.stm
--
Nick in Northallerton
Also @ www.whelan.me.uk
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On page 86,Kepler represented the closest approach of the orbit of Mars
to that of the Earth by using the geocentric plotting of Mars against
the stellar background and retaining a partially heliocentric
perspective by using the retrograde loops as a gauge for how the
Earth's annual orbital motion behaves along with Mars orbital motion.

http://mitpress.mit.edu/journals/pdf/POSC_13_1_74_0.pdf

It is these days that people feel closest to their astronomical roots
whereas at other times of the year ,they are occupied with personal
concerns .Somethings stirs in the blood of people who feel the
connection with our ancestors stretching back to remote antiquity,for
those who have not felt it as I have since childhood,they will regard
this as a flight of fancy.

Somehow it matters that people do attempt to recover their heritage and
Kepler's 'Pretzel' is a good way to start.By interpreting the
representation correctly,much will become clear while an incorrect
intepretation will lead to less than satisfactory concepts.

This is a gift of an astronomer at the greatest time of the year .I am
sure that the ancients toiled during the fertile time of the year and
had more time and more darkness to occupy themselves with celestial
observations as winter approached.Perhaps we still retain the
excitement of the holy men who knew the land and sky intimately and
lived with sincerity for they did not have the luxury of being
otherwise.