[Reader-list] [OT] dont believe martian hoax (aug 27)

[G Karunakar]

Hi all,
If you getting mail fwds of the likes saying

"2 Moons visible on 27 August '06. Chance of a LIFETIME
Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting next
August 2006. It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.
This will cultimate on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65 M miles
of Earth. Be sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am. It will look
like the Earth has 2 Moons. Don't Miss it….. The next time Mars may
come this close is in 2287. "

treat it as a hoax (of astronomical proportions!)

since mars, moon are close to sun, so would be visible only early
morning & also mars is in conjunction , so it would be much smaller
than its usual size. Mars came closest last in Oct/Nov 2005. It comes
close every 2yrs, when earth overtakes it in orbit. Mars was closest
in 60,000 yrs on 27th August 2003.
Planets can look only as big as moon through a high power telescope!!

Image below (mars, moon & sun are below horizon)
http://www.cartoonsoft.com/blog/?p=22

Karunakar