Bill J Gray wrote:

>
> Arturo, the ETBs look interesting... I'll add suitable links from the
> "extras" page. (I see elsewhere that you've also tackled the "closest
> Mars opposition" problem, showing that the 2003 opposition will be
> the closest in at least 5000 years... though several closer ones will
> occur in the current millennium:
>
> http://www.ctv.es/USERS/aramirez/cielos/remoto/appmar.html
>
> I'd read a bit on this subject, but hadn't broken down and done
> the math myself.)
>
> NOTE: the above URL is in Spanish, but the table of close
> oppositions of Mars should be readable by all.
>
> -- Bill

The closest apporaches of MArs seems to be getting closer and closer.
About a week ago, I checked Jean Meeus' "Tables of the Sun, Moon and
Planets"; which lists all Mars opposition from 0 to +3000: no opposition
since 0 was closer than the 2003 opposition, but only a few centuries
into
the future there will be another, closer, opposition, according to that
source as well.

But we're really splitting hairs here though: at closest approach in
2003, Mars will appear some 0.01 arcsec larger than at closest approach
in 1924 -- hardly a noticeable difference!!!!!!!!!!!!

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