US stages "Mars Parties" for close encounter

Posted by tourdemars to General News at August 27, 2003 12:00 PM

Americans held "Mars Parties" and flocked to observatories that were specially opened to mark Earth's close encounter with the Red Planet on Wednesday. Shops reported a run on telescopes as the public sought out Mars, which was an estimated 55.76 million kilometres (34.65 million miles) from Earth.