The Mutating Mars Hoax   
       
   August 25, 2010:  It spreads, it mutates, it refuses to die.   
       
   For the seventh year in a row, the Mars Hoax is infecting email boxes around   
   the world. Passed from one reader to another, the message states that on   
   August 27th Mars will approach Earth and swell to the size of a full Moon. "NO   
   ONE ALIVE TODAY WILL EVER SEE THIS AGAIN," the email declares--always in caps.   
       
   News flash: It's not true.   
       
   Here are the facts. On August 27, 2010, Mars will be 314 million km from   
   Earth, about as far away as it can get. Mars will shine in the western sky   
   after sunset like a tiny red star of ordinary brightness. If you didn't know   
   it was there, you probably wouldn't notice.   
   [...]   
   The only way to see Mars as large as the full Moon is to board a spaceship.   
       
   The origins of the Hoax can be traced back to 2003 when Mars really did swell   
   to unusual proportions. On August 27th of that year, Mars came within 56   
   million km of Earth-the nearest it has been in 60,000 years. People marveled   
   at the orange brilliance of Mars in the night sky and crowded around   
   telescopes for clear views of the planet's towering volcanoes, ruddy plains   
   and glistening polar ice caps. At the height of the display, Mars was about 75   
   times smaller than the full Moon.   
       
   That's when "the virus" was born.   
       
   Someone, somewhere, reasoned as follows: If Mars is 75 times smaller than the   
   Moon, then magnifying it 75 times should make it equal to the Moon. Early   
   versions of the Hoax encouraged readers to get out their telescopes and insert   
   a 75x eyepiece: "At a modest 75 times magnification," the message stated,   
   "Mars will look as big as the full Moon to the naked eye."   
   [...]   
   Click on the image to view a sky map showing how to find Mars on Aug. 27, 2010.   
       
   Soon, the Hoax was vectoring around the internet, making copies of itself and   
   mutating. Advanced versions of the virus, sleeker and less wordy than its   
   ancestors, omitted the magnification and simply stated, "Mars will look as big   
   as the full Moon to the naked eye!" Before long, the year was omitted, too.   
   August 27, 2003, became August 27, and the Hoax became immortal. Indeed, years   
   of stories contradicting the Hoax have failed to stamp it out. This is the   
   fourth vaccination by Science@NASA alone.   
       
   Tolerant readers point out that the Mars Hoax is not really a hoax, because it   
   is not an intentional trick. The original composer probably believed   
   everything he or she wrote in the message. If so, even the name of the Mars   
   Hoax is wrong!   
       
   Here's what you should do on August 27th. Go outside at sunset and face west.   
   The bright light you see shining through the twilight is lovely Venus. Grab a   
   pair of binoculars and scan the sky around Venus. A few degrees to the right,   
   you'll come across a little orange star-like object. That is Mars.   
       
   Now go back inside and delete that email.   
       
       
   Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit: Science@NASA   
       
   More Information   
   The Mars Hoax -- (Snopes.com)   
       
       
   Regards,   
       
   Roger   
      
   --- D'Bridge 3.54   
    * Origin: NCS BBS (1:3828/7)