The hoax usually runs something like this: "On August (such and such) look up at (insert time here). Mars will be closer to Earth than it has been in 60,000 years (or some other number) and will look as big and bright as the full moon (or as big as 2 moons). Mark your calendars for this once in a lifetime event!"
Sad to say fellow sky watchers but this is an utter hoax. First, the close approach of Mars occurred about 8 years ago. Second, on that date Mars still only looked like a very bright star. Third, Mars could NEVER look as big as the full moon unless it somehow were transported to an orbit several million miles closer to the sun. And finally, Mars is not visible in the evening sky in August 2013. You can see mars if you go out just before dawn and look toward the East, but even then Mars will be greatly out shined by the planet Jupiter.
So if you have friends share a Facebook post or an e-mail alerting you to this huge event, please inform them (as gently as possible) that they've fallen for a hoax that has been around for almost a decade.
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| Mars seen above the Eastern horizon just before dawn August 2013 |
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