# Mars Astronomers - Is this crazy or what? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 19, 2007, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442 "2007-07-19T20:51:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Valteron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f17d59/32.png) [@Valteron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valteron)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/1 "2007-07-19T20:51:57Z")
I recently received the following from an email correspondent. Mind you, this is a person who emails “warnings” of “dangers” based on urban legends, so I take eveything she send me with a whole cellar of salt! But here is the message: \*_Two moons on 27th August_ 27th Aug the Whole World is waiting for…\* Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August 2007. It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This will culminate 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.\*\* It seems like just a couple of years ago they were saying that Mars was at its closest approach and would not be so close again for thousands of years. Am I dreaming, or what? Is any of this possible? Is this message bullshit? ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/2 "2007-07-19T20:57:55Z")
Old and wrong: > **[Is a 'Mars Spectacular' Coming Soon?](https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/mars-spectacular/)** > > The planet Mars not be making a once-in-our-lifetimes, remarkably close approach to Earth on August 27. And just think about it for a minute - on any given night Mars appears about as large as…well, a bright dot. That’s it. So now somebody is saying that it’s suddenly going to swoop so close to the earth that it appears to be as big as the moon? That’d be maybe 100 times as close as normal? ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/3 "2007-07-19T21:02:00Z")
[QUOTE=Valgard] Old and wrong: [/QUOTE] Yep. That went around a few years ago. IIRC, Mars was close then, but even with my telescope I couldn’t resolve it to more than a dot. ---
**Author:** ![h.sapiens](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e0b2c6/32.png) [@h.sapiens](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/h.sapiens)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/4 "2007-07-19T21:06:08Z")
Mars is about twice the diameter of Earth’s moon. To appear the same angular size in the sky as the moon, it would need to be about one-half million miles away (twice the moon’s distance). At its closest, it’s about 35 million miles away. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/5 "2007-07-19T21:10:09Z")
[QUOTE=h.sapiens] Mars is about twice the diameter of Earth’s moon. To appear the same angular size in the sky as the moon, it would need to be about one-half million miles away (twice the moon’s distance). At its closest, it’s about 35 million miles away. [/QUOTE] Telltale signs will include all of the oceans sloshing to one side of the Earth 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Valteron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f17d59/32.png) [@Valteron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valteron)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/6 "2007-07-19T21:23:21Z")
Maybe I should have checked google first, but thanks anyhow to those who answered. I found innumerable sites explaining this is a hoax. The frightening thing is that the person who sent me this message sent it to about 100 other people, and is a school teacher paid out of public funds to teach our children. Let’s close this thread and open another one in great debates as to whether the interest is a net asset or liability to human enlightenment 😃 ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/7 "2007-07-19T21:48:44Z")
Oh, as if you’ve never taken a night time stroll in the late summer and saw [this](http://www.flickr.com/photos/7604613@N04/854675228/) frequent, but yet still beautiful site. Makes me tear up with wonder every time. ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/8 "2007-07-19T21:51:29Z")
[QUOTE=cmyk] Oh, as if you’ve never taken a night time stroll in the late summer and saw [this](http://www.flickr.com/photos/7604613@N04/854675228/) frequent, but yet still beautiful site. Makes me tear up with wonder every time. [/QUOTE] On my last stroll on Tattooine, maybe. 🙂 -Joe ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2007, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/9 "2007-07-19T21:58:31Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek] On my last stroll on Tattooine, maybe. 🙂 -Joe [/QUOTE] No, you won’t see anything like that on earth, until Proxima Centauri makes a fairly close encounter with our solar system and will appear as large as the sun in the year 2021. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/10 "2007-07-20T01:29:16Z")
Wait till our galaxy collides with Andromeda . . . but not anytime soon. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/11 "2007-07-20T01:51:32Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] Wait till our galaxy collides with Andromeda . . . but not anytime soon. [/QUOTE] That’s when Andromeda will appear the same size as our own galaxy. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/12 "2007-07-20T02:11:42Z")
Mars’ll look plenty big next July. [sub]It’s in the stars…[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Merijeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f05b48/32.png) [@Merijeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merijeek)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/13 "2007-07-20T03:28:38Z")
[QUOTE=cmyk] No, you won’t see anything like that on earth, until Proxima Centauri makes a fairly close encounter with our solar system and will appear as large as the sun in the year 2021. [/QUOTE] Is that when the [atmosphere is torn from the Earth, evil aliens, mutants run rampant, and I FINALLY GET MY SUNSWORD?](http://www.thundarr.com/) -Joe ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/14 "2007-07-20T11:08:38Z")
[QUOTE=Valteron] The frightening thing is that the person who sent me this message sent it to about 100 other people, and is a school teacher paid out of public funds to teach our children. [/QUOTE] That is depressing. :smack: Could you send her the snopes reference? ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 11:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/15 "2007-07-20T11:22:49Z")
[QUOTE=Bryan Ekers] Mars’ll look plenty big next July. [sub]It’s in the stars…[/sub] [/QUOTE] Well, did you ever…? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/16 "2007-07-20T12:26:32Z")
[QUOTE=Merijeek] Is that when the [atmosphere is torn from the Earth, evil aliens, mutants run rampant, and I FINALLY GET MY SUNSWORD?](http://www.thundarr.com/) -Joe [/QUOTE] Dood! You mean you missed the '94 encounter?! It was sunswords for everybody! Maybe you can still find one on ebay? ---
**Author:** ![stuyguy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@stuyguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stuyguy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/17 "2007-07-20T14:39:35Z")
[QUOTE=Malacandra] Well, did you ever…? [/QUOTE] What a swell party this is! ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/18 "2007-07-20T14:47:50Z")
[QUOTE=cmyk] Oh, as if you’ve never taken a night time stroll in the late summer and saw [this](http://www.flickr.com/photos/7604613@N04/854675228/) frequent, but yet still beautiful site. Makes me tear up with wonder every time. [/QUOTE] Ha ha! That’s beautiful. Nice job. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/19 "2007-07-20T15:08:49Z")
[QUOTE=Ponder Stibbons] Ha ha! That’s beautiful. Nice job. 🙂 [/QUOTE] A full mars and a full moon at the same time? Do you realise how rare that is? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2007, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442/20 "2007-07-20T15:30:00Z")
[QUOTE=h.sapiens] Mars is about twice the diameter of Earth’s moon. To appear the same angular size in the sky as the moon, it would need to be about one-half million miles away (twice the moon’s distance). At its closest, it’s about 35 million miles away. [/QUOTE] Which is to say, simple physical reality prevents the Mars-related scenario from coming to pass. This is, in other words, a “Mars bar.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mars-astronomers-is-this-crazy-or-what/412442.md?page=2)