Friday, July 31, 2009

Mars Hoax




This is an e-mail hoax, started right after the 2003 closest sighting. I didn't Snope this, I'm sorry.


Something to look forward to this summer.

Mars The Red Planet is about to be spectacular! This month and next, Earth is catching up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Due to the way Jupiter's gravity tugs on Mars and perturbs its orbit, astronomers can only be certain that Mars has not come this close to Earth in the Last 5,000 years, but it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens again. The encounter will culminate on August 27Th when Mars comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide. At a modest75-power magnification Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. Mars will be easy to spot. At the beginning of August it will rise in the east at 10p.m. and reach its azimuth at about 3 a.m. By the end of August when the two planets are closest, Mars will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30a.m. That's pretty convenient to see something that no human being has seen in recorded history. So, mark your calendar at the beginning of August to see Mars grow progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month. Share this with your children and grandchildren.




NO ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN


Presented by at

14 comments:

  1. Moments and ImpressionsFriday, 31 July, 2009

    Very neat - thanks for the info.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Brian MillerFriday, 31 July, 2009

    while i would love for this to actually happen...i do believe it is a hoax...sorry.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Verily I go.Friday, 31 July, 2009

    Brian, I believe you are right. I got his info in an e-mail and did not research it. This e-mail first circulated, I think, in 2003. I'm so sorry I had you planet gazing at no result. Thanks for the heads up. Would be pretty cool though, SHUCKS!

    ReplyDelete
  4. ellen abbottFriday, 31 July, 2009

    How very cool is this! I remember seeing Mars on one of it's close encounters when I happened to be in the Colorado Rockies. I could not believe how big and bright it was. thanks for the head's up Verily.

    ReplyDelete
  5. DarylFriday, 31 July, 2009

    Snopes.com is your friend .. so am I

    ReplyDelete
  6. Dan GurneyFriday, 31 July, 2009

    It's easy to miss the modifier, "at a modest 75-power magnification" and think that Mars will appear as big as the moon.

    It won't, unless you're looking through a telescope 10 times more powerful than binoculars.

    Mars can get pretty bright, but to the naked eye it will simply be a bright red dot in the night sky.

    ReplyDelete
  7. TomFriday, 31 July, 2009

    aw....i was excited...i thought if i got out my binnoculors i could see the martians looking back at me through their bionnoculors.

    ReplyDelete
  8. http://www.cicekpostasi.comSaturday, 01 August, 2009

    çiçekçi

    paylaşım için çok teşekkürler başarılar diliyorum
    Çok çok güzel bir çalışma iyi teşekkürler paylaşım için

    ReplyDelete
  9. Brian MillerSaturday, 01 August, 2009

    it would have been cool...

    ReplyDelete
  10. NancySunday, 09 August, 2009

    Wow, I must have got this somewhere else because I have my calendar market to look at Mars. Geeeeze

    ReplyDelete
  11. cicekciSunday, 28 February, 2010

    For sharing thank you very much good very beautiful work.

    ReplyDelete
  12. çiçekSunday, 28 February, 2010

    For sharing thank you very much good very beautiful work.

    ReplyDelete
  13. eşanjörlerTuesday, 20 April, 2010

    thanks

    ReplyDelete
  14. mit eşanjörTuesday, 20 April, 2010

    thanks

    ReplyDelete

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