Seeing Mars as a Full Moon: A Hoax?

[photon]

someone told me that in the near future we'd be able to see Mars as the size of a full moon from earth. later i read it was just a hoax. anyone else heard about this?

 

[James R]

Haven't heard it, but it's definitely wrong. Mars will never look as big as the full moon from Earth.

 

[GOD__AM]

It means if you look at Mars through a 75x telescope that it will appear as big "in the telescope" as the moon does to the naked eye. Not a hoax just people leaving out important details.

 

[Phobos]

As noted above, I think its more of a misunderstanding than a hoax.

http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp
http://www.Earth'sky.com/skywatching/marsbrightest.php

 

[russ_watters]

I have my doubts about it being a mistake - its a repeat of a misunderstanding from just two years ago, spread by email. I think it's a decent chance that its another "Good Times" hoax.

 

[Phobos]

the power of the internet in the hands of monkeys

 

[ek]

Ya I got this email too.

Doesn't take an astronomer to realize it's wildly inaccurate.