A HOAX called TWO MOONS
This article is to refute the claim that in August (2010), planet Mars will appear so big, as if Earth has two Moons. Readers beware of the hoax email message, else you end up gazing the sky, fruitlessly Mars, the most explored planet of our Solar System has inspired wild flights of imagination since time immemorial. The latest being an email message reproduced here: Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August. It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This will cultivate on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles off earth. Be sure to watch the sky on Aug 27 12:30 am. It will look
like the earth has 2 moons. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.
The message informs that planet Mars will be closest to
large as the Moon. In the opposition of Mars in 2003
Earth in August, but the year is specifically not mentioned.
known as Mars event, the closest, distance between
The recipient therefore assumes the event will occur
Earth and Mars was calculated to be 55,758,006 km,
during August of the current year ie., August, 2010 as of
with Mars apparent diameter of 25 arc seconds.
now. Virtually identical (and equally misleading) messages were circulated way back in July, August 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and resurfaced again in 2010.
In the recent past, far less than "spectacular" opposition of Mars occurred in Oct 2005, Dec 2007 and this year from Jan 29th until Feb 14th, Mars at 99 million km from
According to NASA, Earth and Mars did come closer in the
earth appeared as a very bright spot in the sky, clearly
recorded history on Aug 27th, 2003 when the distance
visible to the naked eye, after which it got dimmer and
between Mars and Earth shrunk to 56 million km. But
mingled with other heavenly bodies, but never lost!
Mars never actually appeared "as large as the full moon to the naked eye" - not even close - it was indeed the brightest objects in the night sky, for several months. Moreover the fact is not as earth shattering as it might appear. Such close oppositions occurred on 18th Aug 1845 and 13th Aug 1766 also.
The instant message was actually compiled for 27th Aug 2003 event. In the context of 2010, it is nothing more
than a HOAX. The year has been purposefully removed from the original email and re-circulated every year with the view to dupe a new set of recipients into gazing the night sky fruitlessly.
But don't despair, reading the
Earth revolves around the Sun faster than Mars. This
article one might have understood close encounters
causes Earth to precede Mars once in 26 months during
with Mars are not very uncommon. The claim that "NO
such time, the Sun-Earth-Mars falls in one line,
ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN!"
phenomena known as Opposition of Mars. Such event
misleading. It is true that the next time Mars will be as
repeats once every 26 months. Further since the orbit of
close to Earth as it was in 2003 will be on Aug 28th, 2287
Mars is slightly more oval, the distance between Earth and
in the mean time, there will be plenty of other close
Mars are not always same every opposition. Hence when
approaches, so our children, grand children, great grand
approaching each other, Mars is more clearly visible,
children are not likely to miss out anything. Perhaps by
appear bright, luminous and more red to the naked eye as
2287 some of our descendants will be observing the
well as by binoculars, telescopes etc, but certainly not as
close encounter from Martian perspective. Who knows!
is
Debkumar Bhadra, Technical Officer, Multiparametric Geophysical Observatory, Shoal Bay No-8, South Andaman-744206, email : debkumar_bhadra@yahoo.com