A Celebration Honoring the Convergence of Earth and Mars and the Birth of a Science Fiction Writer - 2003-08-26

On August 27 (5th of Shahrivar), Earth and Mars will align at one-third of their usual distance, an event that occurs once every sixty thousand years. Astronomy enthusiasts gathered this week in the city of Pasadena, California, to celebrate both the astronomical alignment and the eighty-third birthday of Ray Bradbury, a renowned author known for works such as 'Fahrenheit 451' and 'The Martian Chronicles.' Louis Friedman, director of the Planetary Society, which hosted the celebration, stated that Bradbury's works have been a source of inspiration for him. Friedman remarked, 'At this moment, five spacecraft are en route to Mars. We have two spacecraft in orbit around Mars, and five more rovers will arrive next January. Therefore, this year and next, the whole world will learn about the results of the explorations of these seven spacecraft. It is a magnificent moment, as we gain knowledge related to the most important question of humanity: What is life, and what is our destiny?' The Planetary Society, along with the twin spacecraft currently on their way to Mars, has sent the names of four million Mars exploration enthusiasts on a disk to the red planet. Enthusiasts can check the progress of the Mars rover on the Society's website: www.planetary.org. Ray Bradbury hopes that a larger portion of the world's resources will be spent on space exploration rather than war. He envisions a day, perhaps a hundred years from now, when a young reader living on Mars will read his book 'The Martian Chronicles' under the light of a flashlight and be inspired to conquer and make other planets habitable.