Directly south of Michigan at midnight, Mars is a "bright red lamp hanging halfway up from the southern horizon," said astronomy Prof. Richard Teske.
The close encounter between Mars and Earth will take place due to a continuous "game of orbital tag," Teske said. Earth, moving swiftly, chases the slower Mars, gaining one full lap and passing once every 26 months.
In addition, astronomers said the present near-equality of day length and equatorial inclination for Mars and Earth is a coincidence. Theorists think that Mars' equatorial tilt changes significantly over millions of years.
Teske said that 160 million years from now, the length of an Earth day and a Mars day will be equal. After that, Earth days will continue to grow longer.
In their recent book, "The Movies: Texts, Receptions, Exposures," English Prof. Laurence Goldstein and film and video studies Prof. Ira Konigsberg contend that movies will continue to appeal to all levels of society in the future.
The most successful films are those that "make the most sophisticated use of psychology and sociology to frame their narratives," Goldstein and Konigsberg said in a written statement.
While films entertain audiences, they have intrigued scholars who question what qualities give a film the complexity and resonance of high art, according to the statement.
The writers also studied how the appreciation of a film may be dependent on elements such as the screen, stars, mindframe and even petty business deals in Hollywood studios.
The book offers essays on such classics as "The Wizard of Oz," "The Silence of the Lambs" and "The Last Emperor."
The Environmental Protection Agency is soliciting grant proposals to establish a national network of pollution prevention centers. The grants range from $750,000 to $1 million.
Several reasons for the proposal requests include the creation of new centers for collection, synthesis and dissemination of pollution prevention information for states not currently served by such a center.
Also, the EPA seeks to support existing regional pollution prevention information centers and coordinate work among new and existing centers.
To participate, contact Paul Cunningham via e-mail at paulc@umich.edu by April 28.
The U.S. Department of the Interior's National Earthquake Reduction Program is planning to support research in earthquake hazards protection by providing data essential to determine seismic hazards present in the United States.
Information will also be collected to offset preventable earthquake damage.
NEHRP supports research related to the following areas: evaluating hazard risk on national, regional and urban levels, understanding earthquake processes and providing efficient hazard assessment.
Contact Paul Cunningham via e-mail at paulc@umich.edu by March 28 for more information.
- Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter David Rossman.