Yes, the annual August Mars Hoax is back.
Actually, "hoax" is the wrong word, unless some joker out there is spreading it knowingly (quite possible). It's an e-mail chain letter claiming that Mars is about to come closer than ever in history and will look as big and bright as the full Moon with the naked eye. If your well-meaning great-aunt or your cousin's brother-in-law's dog hasn't sent it to you yet, it's probably just a matter of time.
What's going on is this. Back in 2003 (that's 2003 with a "3" on the end, folks), Mars had an especially favorable opposition, coming close enough to Earth to appear 25 arcseconds wide. By comparison, Mars is about 8" wide now (August 2007) and will grow to 16" wide around its opposition in December 2007.
"The Mars chain letter is not a bad thing, it's a good thing! It is an immunization. If you make a fool of yourself by sending it to your friends and family, you may be embarrassed enough not to send them the next e-mail chain letter you get, which may not be so harmless." |
