Is Mars Really Approaching Close to Earth on August 27th?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the claim that Mars will come within 35,000,000 miles of Earth on August 27th and appear as large as the Moon. Participants are questioning the validity of this claim and discussing its origins, particularly in relation to past occurrences and the circulation of similar emails.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note that emails claiming Mars will appear large in the sky circulate annually, suggesting a pattern of misinformation.
  • One participant mentions that Mars did come within 35,000,000 miles of Earth on August 27, 2003, but emphasizes that it did not appear as a disk to the naked eye.
  • Another participant references a website that debunks such claims, indicating that many people are misled by these emails.
  • There is a general sentiment of disbelief regarding the persistence of this claim, with some participants expressing frustration that it continues to circulate.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that the claim about Mars appearing large is misleading and that it has been circulated in various forms over the years. However, there is no consensus on the impact of these claims or the reasons behind their recurrence.

Contextual Notes

Some limitations include the lack of clarity on the origins of the email claims and the dependence on past astronomical events to evaluate current assertions. The discussion does not resolve the broader implications of such misinformation.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in astronomy, misinformation in science communication, or those who receive similar claims about celestial events may find this discussion relevant.

GetPhysical
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I just received an email with a powerpoint someone put together. It said that Mars would come within 35,000,000 miles of Earth on August 27th and would appear as large as the Moon. Does anyone have any other information on this? Is it even true?
 
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These emails get circulated every year.

There was a year when Mars came within 35,000,000 miles of Earth on August 27th, but Mars is never more than a point to the naked eye. :rolleyes:
 
Mars came within 35,000,000 miles of Earth on Aug. 27 of 2003 but, as tiny-tim said, even then it did not show a disk to the human eye.

According to the "Hoax Slayer" website, a lot of people are getting those e-mails!
 
GetPhysical said:
I just received an email with a powerpoint someone put together. It said that Mars would come within 35,000,000 miles of Earth on August 27th and would appear as large as the Moon. Does anyone have any other information on this? Is it even true?

Whenever you hear something strange via e-mail or word-of-mouth, Snopes.com is your friend:

http://www.snopes.com/science/astronomy/brightmars.asp

.
 
I can't believe that one is still making the rounds!
 

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