“The God of War approacheth as the Sun doth rise, and thou shalt know that the morrow bringeth the Conclave Draconic.”

Yes, dear reader, this year’s Dragon*Con has been presaged by an event of truly astronomical import. The planet Mars, the bloody red orb, the planet in the solar system closest to ours, is closer to Earth than it has been in approximately 60,000 years and closer than it will be for another two centuries. So, unless you are one of the many immortal species from the planet Jebrox, it’s something of a once in a lifetime event. And, if you are from the planet Jebrox, may I be among the first to welcome you to our humble planet, Sir or Madame?  Please don’t kill us.

Beyond any astrological or extra-terrestrial navigational significance, perhaps the most noticeable effect is that Mars is really, really, and I mean really bright. While it was at its brightest on Wednesday morning, it should still be clearly visible as a reddish colored “star” in the night sky above Atlanta, as long as all those pesky clouds and buildings stay out of the way. It’ll be at magnitude –2.9 through September 2nd, which means only the Moon and the planet Venus will be brighter.

So, as you take the time to visit the many late night events here at Dragon*Con, you might want to take a moment to step out and sneak a peek at the celestial show going on overhead.