Mars In August Hoax
Got this forwarded email from a friend which says,
"MARS comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky this month. Beginning the first week of August, Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. Apparently, this month, Earth will catch up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history.
Mars will rise in the east at 10p.m. and reach its' azimuth at about 3 a.m. By the end of August, when Earth and Mars are closest, the Red Planet will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30a.m. The spectacle should conclude on August 27th.
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 and it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens again. By astronomers' estimation, the next time Mars may come this close will be in 2287. Think about it: no one alive today will get to see it again. So, mark your calendar and grab the opportunity to see Mars grow progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month. Be sure to glance up and watch the sky on August 27th -it will look like the Earth has two moons!"
The skeptic that I am, of course, researched it and was not surprised to learn that it was a cleverly perpetrated chain mail designed to confuse the guillible. Hmmm, must've sprung out from all the media frenzy that overflowed from Tom Cruise's last movie...
More info
"MARS comes to within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky this month. Beginning the first week of August, Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. Apparently, this month, Earth will catch up with Mars in an encounter that will culminate in the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history.
Mars will rise in the east at 10p.m. and reach its' azimuth at about 3 a.m. By the end of August, when Earth and Mars are closest, the Red Planet will rise at nightfall and reach its highest point in the sky at 12:30a.m. The spectacle should conclude on August 27th.
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 and it may be as long as 60,000 years before it happens again. By astronomers' estimation, the next time Mars may come this close will be in 2287. Think about it: no one alive today will get to see it again. So, mark your calendar and grab the opportunity to see Mars grow progressively brighter and brighter throughout the month. Be sure to glance up and watch the sky on August 27th -it will look like the Earth has two moons!"
The skeptic that I am, of course, researched it and was not surprised to learn that it was a cleverly perpetrated chain mail designed to confuse the guillible. Hmmm, must've sprung out from all the media frenzy that overflowed from Tom Cruise's last movie...
More info
Post a Comment
<< Home