Set your clocks and get ready to look up at the sky as this month is about to be your best chance to see Mars for the next 15 years.
Mars will make its closest approach to Earth in more than two years this month, and with NASA having described the red planet’s appearance as “effectively a ‘full’ Mars”, this offers us the best chance to view our planetary neighbour in nearly 20 years.
If the typical Manchester weather permits, that is.
The planet will be visible at night throughout October – rising the highest in the sky around midnight each night – and will shine in the east each evening and in the west before dawn, but next Tuesday 13th October is the big date to mark in your diaries though, as Mars will shine brighter in the sky than it has since 2003, and will not appear like this again until 2035.
Mars is a pretty impressive planet and one that we are learning more about everyday, but it doesn’t always make an appearance like this, so why are we so lucky this month?
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Well, according to NASA, it’s due to a celestial event known as the Mars’ Opposition.
Mars reaches opposition every 26 months – meaning Earth passes directly between the Sun and Mars – and this is due to take place next week.
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Millions of miles separate the Moon and Mars, but you’ll see them close together in the sky tonight (they’ll rise in the East around 8 pm local time). That’s because Earth, the Moon, and Mars are nearly lined up. Check out our virtual solar system: https://t.co/5YjIBXKLcGpic.twitter.com/ma46iZ6Xit
This event occurs as Mars and Earth don’t orbit the sun in perfect circles, or even on the same plane, and instead, the planets have elliptical orbits shaped like ovals, so for example, while Earth only takes 365 days to complete an orbit around the sun, Mars takes 687 days.
Basically, when Earth moves closer to the sun, Mars moves away from it.
The red planet is due to make its closest approach to Earth today, meaning that Mars will be 38,586,816 miles away from Earth – which, believe it or not, is actually close for Mars – and it won’t be this close again until 2035.
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The last time this happened was in 2003 when Mars made its closest approach to Earth in 60,000 years and came within a distance of 34.65 million miles.
Even though Mars is at its closest point tonight, it won’t actually be at its very brightest until next Tuesday, so although you’ll have a great view of it tonight, you should get an even better chance to pick it out in the night sky next week.
Fingers crossed for clear skies, right Manchester?
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Salford City FC have been bought out by a new consortium
Danny Jones
Another era beckons for Salford City as a buyout of the Greater Manchester football club by a new consortiumhas been announced.
Well, sort of.
Salford City FC were famously the subject of a joint takeover by Singaporean businessman Peter Lim and members of Manchester United’s Class of ’92 over a decade ago, and now 11 years on from that last milestone moment in their history, the local side has a new administration once again.
It is a fresh chapter for the club, but supporters will be glad to hear that there will also be some continuity and key throughline of consistency among some of those at the top.
Salford City announces that the Club has been acquired by a new ownership group led by David Beckham and Gary Neville, and includes US-based businessman Declan Kelly and Lord Mervyn Davies who will both serve as new Co-Chairs of the Club’s board.
Led by Man United legends Gary Neville and David Beckham, who have been involved with Salford since 2014, the new nine-member consortium consists of the Dream Sports Group – a leading sports technology company based in India – along with a number of other key figures.
One of those is Lord Mervyn Davies, a former Labour MP and Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Small Business, who still serves as a trade envoy between the UK and Sri Lanka.
Another is Irish-American entrepreneur Declan Kelly, who is Chairman and CEO of The Consello Group, a global advisory and investing firm.
While the previous co-owners and fellow Class of ’92 United graduates are no longer shareholders at Moor Lane, it is said they will still play important roles at the club.
As the official statement reads, “The acquisition includes a commitment by the new shareholders to invest significantly in the Club, the team and its facilities”, meaning there will funds will likely be sweet aside not only for some healthy transfer business but more updates to the Peninsula Stadium.
Commenting on the announcement, Neville said: “I’m passionate about Salford City. This is a unique partnership with a diverse range of minds and expertise, held together by a love of football.
“Football will come first, however, it’s critical that we drive the Club towards sustainability in the next 4-5 years. I can’t wait for the next part of this journey.”
Meanwhile, Beckham went on to add in the excitable Instagram post seen above: “Salford played such an important role in my life growing up… It’s where I trained with United alongside my best mates every day, it’s where I bought my first house and where me and Victoria lived.
“I’m so proud to be part of a new ownership group alongside my mate [Neville] as we begin the next chapter of Salford’s journey. Football is at the heart of this community and I can’t wait to see what the future holds for the Ammies.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær says just three players have spoken to him since leaving Manchester United
Danny Jones
Club legend and ex-Manchester United player turned manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, has revealed that just three of his former players have been in touch since leaving Old Trafford.
Solskjær was sacked from the role as Man United head coach back in November 2021 after having been given the job permanently following an impressive winning run as interim manager.
The practically perfect start back at the helm of the club – where he starred as the ‘super sub’ during his playing days – was followed by a big slump, and the final decision was ultimately made in the wake of a 4-1 loss to Watford.
However, the ‘Baby-Faced Assassin’s’ popularity among the players and the fans alike was never in question, so it’s come as somewhat of a surprise to many fans that Solskjær has said only a specific trio of United players have got in touch with him since his dream job came to an end.
At least two of the names read out might not surprise fans, as not only was then-club captain Harry Maguire one of his first statement signings, but so was Bruno Fernandes, who now has the armband, and both have remained key players and leadership figures pretty much ever since.
Speaking to BBC Sport on the senior duo, Ole said, “For me, Harry has always been a leader and a fighter”, and never had any doubts about him deputising for him on the pitch, before going on to label both the centre-back and Bruno as “top human beings.”
As for the third, although Victor Lindelöf looks set to leave the club this summer, he’s actually been a long-serving squad member, having joined back in 2017 and been a seemingly popular figure around the dressing room, even if injury problems have sometimes hampered his minutes.
He also went on to discuss other matters regarding the club, including confessing that it’s “hard to watch” United amidst their present struggles, both under previous manager Erik ten Hag and now Ruben Amorim – even with a potential Europa League trophy consolation on the cards.
The retired striker also stated that he found the decision to let midfielder Scott McTominay go more than surprising, especially given the incredible performances he’s put on display since moving to Serie A.
Emily Sergeant -
6th October 2020 
