While stargazers excitedly grab their telescopes for an unprecedented glimpse of the Red Planet, soothsayers insist the focus should instead be on survival, as Earth's violent celestial neighbour rampages ominously close.

Whether their trembling hands were divining the horoscope's planetary play or the ethereal clues of Feng Shui, every astrologer from Bangkok to Bombay was in agreement: cosmic catastrophe is on the cards for an already-troubled Earth.

"Violence, wars, bloodshed and combat" are all portends of Mars, which will cast a spells of misfortune lasting until September 20, astrologer R.L Kanthan told the Times of India, his insight optimistic compared to others.

Satish Sharma, a fellow Indian astrologer, warned that Thursday's alignment of Earth, Mars and the sun would herald a season of arson, rioting and unrest that would last until Mars enters the sign of Pisces on December 6.

Trouble would be compounded, they warned, by the foreboding position of Rahu, an imaginary malefic planet, in relation to the moon, Mars and Saturn, which would hamper the Indian government and provoke violent uprisings.

Their ominous predictions came in the wake of two deadly car bombs in the Indian city of Bombay which killed 52 people and were the work, according to Kanthan, not of the Islamic militants named as prime suspects, but of Mars.

As if to confirm his suspicions, the subcontinent was beset by another tragedy as the planet drew closer, with dozens of people killed or injured in a stampede at a Hindu holy festival in northwestern India.

In Thailand, where Buddhist calm was unsettled by the arrest this month of a major terror kingpin allegedly plotting attacks in Bangkok, mystics were also casting an uneasy eye towards the heavens.

"When it comes towards the Earth, people should be careful about their emotions because it will put people in a bad mood and spark conflicts," warned the country's leading astrologer Pinyo Pongcharoen.

"It will also increase the chances of war, terrorism and accidents," he told the Thai-language Daily News.

In Hong Kong, only just recovering from the effects of the deadly Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, Feng Shui master and astrologer Chung King-kwong offered another doom-laden forecast.

"There will be more natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons as well as huge temperature changes and climatic swings," he said, pointing to recent heatwaves in Europe blamed for the deaths of thousands.

Astronomers willing to risk the wrath of Mars will be granted spectacular views of the planet as it comes within 55.76 million kilometers (34.65 million miles) of Earth, the closest since Neanderthal man walked the planet.

Features such as polar ice caps and storm clouds will be visible through telescopes.

In hi-tech Japan, where superstitions take a backseat to consumerism, sales of telescopes have soared as amateur stargazers prepare to catch what will be the best glimpse of the Red Planet for several centuries to come.

But for those still quaking in anticipation, Feng Shui master Chung has a glimmer of good news: if we survive its arrival, Mars could make us rich.

"The good side is that the magnetic field generated between the two planets indicates that the global economy, and in particular Hong Kong, will receive a boost."

SPACE.WIRE