Noites Marcianas

E-mail enviado por Jill Patrick:
(endereço não divulgado por se tratar de um e-mail pessoal)

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Yes, it's true that Mars will be in its closest "conjunction" to Earth in August 2003 in millenia. Now's the time to begin looking at it.

http://www.marstoday.com/viewpr.html?pid=12175
provides this story:

PRESS RELEASE
Date Released: Monday, July 28, 2003
Jet Propulsion Laboratory

Mars Moves in for Some Quality Visual Time

Living too close to a neighbor may not be very appealing, but when Earth's neighboring red planet moves closer than it's been in 50,000 years, observers expect nothing but acclaim.
This August, scientists and amateur astronomers will benefit from the spectacular view of Mars as it appears bigger and brighter than ever before, revealing its reflective south polar cap and whirling dust clouds.
On August 27, 2003, the fourth rock from the sun will be less than 55.76 million kilometers (34.65 million miles) away from the Earth. In comparison to the space between your house and your neighbor's yard, that may seem like a large distance, but Mars was about five times that distance from Earth only six months ago.

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Para os não anglófonos, vou traduzir, apenas, os destaques
do texto a bold, da responsabilidade d'A Sombra:

"Agora é o momento de começar a observá-lo"
"Agosto"
"Planeta vermelho"
"27 de Agosto de 2003"
"Quarto calhau a contar do Sol"
"Marte"

info detalhada em:
http://www.marstoday.com/viewpr.html?pid=12175

Agora deixai de olhar o céu e ide dormir, que é o que eu vou fazer.

nota:
Diálogo de província II

"Papá, ontem, apesar do fumo todo, vi Marte do tamanho
de uma bola de ténis!"
"Não era Marte. Era mesmo uma bola de ténis."