美国宇航局太空网评出2003年十佳天文图片

2：哈勃望远镜拍到的火星

　　在最近的记忆中还没有任何一件天文事件能像2003年8月与火星近距离接触这样吸引全世界的关注。科学家和公共关系官员后来还就他们是否在某种程度上使人们过于“大惊小怪”的问题进行过争论。

　　毕竟，对于那些没有任何先进和昂贵望远镜设备的天文爱好者来讲，火星只不过是浩瀚夜空中的一个亮点。对于那些装备了天文设备的专业人士而言，这个混浊的世界却一下子变的生动起来。然而对于那些没有科技设备的人来说，哈勃太空望远镜可以为他们捕捉到最接近点的那一刻。

2. Mars by Hubble

No single astronomy event in recent memory captured the collective human imagination like the close encounter with Mars in August, 2003. Afterward, scientists and public relations officials argued over whether they had helped create too much fuss. After all, to anyone without a pretty expensive telescope, Mars was nothing more than a bright dot in the night sky.

But for people with the right equipment, the dusty world came alive. For those who didn't have the technological goods, the Hubble Space Telescope captured the moment of closest approach for posterity.