As I mentioned in the newsletter a couple of weeks ago, I’m hard at work collecting details about events around the world that will be celebrating the Mars 2003 opposition. I’ve got a few hundred included so far, with most states in the USA represented as well as a few countries outside that.
Click here to access the worldwide list of Mars 2003 events.
If you’re interested in attending, check out the list and see if there’s something in your neighbourhood. If not, bookmark the page and then come back as we get closer to August 27, as I’m adding dozens every day. I suspect they’re really going to pour in as the word gets out. If you’re involved with a group that’s planning an event, let me know about it.
But you don’t need a big party. If you’ve got a reasonable telescope, just pick a public place that you think will have a lot of people wandering by and invite them to look at Mars. Let me know the location and I’ll incorporate it into the list. This is one of the best ways to share the wonder of astronomy.
Please don’t send me an email asking if there’s going to be an event in your area. Every event I know about has already been added to the list. If you don’t see something, why don’t you contact your local planetarium, museum, library, observatory, university, or astronomy club and ask them if they’ve got something planned? Let them know about this list. Anything you can do to get the word out would be much appreciated. 🙂
Finally, Bad Astronomy has a great page that explains the opposition and debunks some of the crazy rumours. Check it out.
Fraser Cain
Publisher
Universe Today
P.S. Thanks to John Chumack for his great picture of Mars. He snapped this on August 15 with an 11″ telescope.