Is this for real?

Question

A friend of mine told me this.... I dunno if it's really real, but if it is, I think I'll check it out!! :) I'm gonna be working all night tonight so I thought I'd be sure and take a smoke break at about that time...:)



27th Aug the Whole World is waiting for............. 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 of 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. Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it again.

Ok just to clarify.... even though I guess its not for real :'-(

I'm in the USA Central Standard Time (Texas)

Buuuut, apparently I've been HAD... oh well, it was fun for a second!:)

Answer 1

First of all, at a distance of 34.65 million miles, Mars cannot possibly appear to be as big as the moon - but it could appear to be as bright. Second, Mars comes this close to Earth every time they line up with the Sun, which happens about every two years. The length of Mars' year is 687 of our days, and ours is a few hours over 365 days, so in one of our years, Mars will have travelled a little more than halfway around its orbit. In two of our years, Mars will have travelled for 730 of our days, so it would be 43 days ahead of us. It would take us about 23 more days to catch up to it. (That makes our times of closest approach about every two years and three weeks.)

Answer 2

Sounds like an urban legend. Tell-tale signs--1) if something this significant were coming along, wouldn't the news, Time, books be reporting it? 2) notice the wrong word being used--it isn't "cultivate" it's "culminate." While likely not a hoax, it isn't scientifically factual that Mars would like as big as the moon. The three brightest items in the sky are 1) the sun; 2) the moon; 3) the space station. Good luck.

Answer 3

If you want to fool your friend back, tell him/her to look up in the early morning of the 28th. There will be an eclipse of the moon, turning it red. Tell your friend that it's actually the close approach of Mars. Then tell them you have a bridge to sell them.

Answer 4

First of all, at a distance of 34.65 million miles, Mars cannot possibly appear to be as big as the moon - but it could appear to be as bright. Second, Mars comes this close to Earth every time they line up with the Sun, which happens about every two years. The length of Mars' year is 687 of our days, and ours is a few hours over 365 days, so in one of our years, Mars will have travelled a little more than halfway around its orbit. In two of our years, Mars will have travelled for 730 of our days, so it would be 43 days ahead of us. It would take us about 23 more days to catch up to it. (That makes our times of closest approach about every two years and three weeks.)

Answer 5

If that would have been true, it would have been in news months before and today would have been a special day or something like that

Answer 6

I hope so!!
I would be in hevean!!! okay not really but you get the idea!
YAY MARS!!!!!!

-Future Astronaut/ Trekkie Girl

Answer 7

Hi. Not real. This hoax started a few years ago. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2005/07jul_marshoax.htm

Answer 8

i haven't hard this before but i will look anyway. you know you say 12:30 well, it would be a different time according to where you live in the world wouldn't it?

Answer 9

Ummm....no....mars will definitely NOT be as big as a full moon!!!

Answer 10

C'mon this is bullshit, itll not happen, never has, and never will. why cant people stop asking about this, its annoying.