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MARS- as big as the moon!

Soapy Sam

Penultimate Amazing
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Oct 23, 2002
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I have just been told by a colleague that he recently heard a radio item saying that due to long period fluctuations in the orbit of Mars caused by the gravity of Jupiter, Mars will pass so close to the Earth this month (Aug 27th), that it will appear as "big as the moon". I was distinctly unimpressed, which seems to have upset him a bit.

Now I recall the last opposition was about the end of August 03 and the next (I'm guessing) will be Novemberish this year.

However, if I see Mars as big as the Moon, I will be under the table with a bottle of old stultifier.

I'm sure he heard something . (Possibly the Orson Welles' version of WotW).

Anyone have any idea what else it could have been?
 
They talk about that in the latest Skepticality podcast too.

It's bunk.
 
IIRC, the last time a Mars-size object got that close, it ripped our little ball of rock a new one. And created the moon as a result.
 
BronzeDog said:
IIRC, the last time a Mars-size object got that close, it ripped our little ball of rock a new one. And created the moon as a result.
Click to expand...

First time I've heard of this, but it got me to think some silly thoughts:

If I remember correctly (but be aware, it's very possible I don't!), the moon is largely responsible for the Earth not tilting more than about 23 degrees. Up to about 80 degree tilt would be possible. Of course, this still wouldn't make the appearance of life impossible, but I think it would be more difficult to sustain, and if sustained, it would likely have a very different course than we have today.

So if we both remember correctly, the alienists were right: Mars is responsible for us humans being here after all! :D:D:D
 
Originally posted by Soapy Sam Anyone have any idea what else it could have been? [/B]
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Sure.

How about a lazy researcher not checking any of the facts of the email they recieved from thier friend who forwards everything without ever wondering "Is this true?".

Or

He was lstening to an A.M.-band station.

:)
O
 
The silliness was never in doubt. Just the source of the silliness.

The Snopes article is clearly onto the same story.
I'll print it. Funny how people will believe something in print , but not the facts from a known source.
(What do YOU know about it?).

Thanks, everybody.
 
From snopes it sounds like the an "unfortunate line break" was to blame for the misunderstanding. There's no details, but I suppose the following format could give the wrong impression:

It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide. At a modest 75-power magnification

Mars will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye.
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Now that I think about that, what the heck is "with the naked eye" doing in the same sentence as "75-power magnification"?!
 
It looks like one of those cut and paste edits which alters the whole meaning of a sentence, because the editor is not paying attention.

I've seen whole sections of technical documents cut from earlier versions- containing the same typos, grammar errors and technical mistakes- then pasted into later proposals , creating functional contradictions with other parts of the same document.

Cut and paste is a powerful tool - but one fraught with potential for disaster.
 
Would this make more sense?

At a modest 75-power magnification, Mars will look as large as the full moon does to the naked eye.
 
mummymonkey said:
Would this make more sense?

At a modest 75-power magnification, Mars will look as large as the full moon does to the naked eye.
Click to expand...

It could be, because the Moon is some 25'' wide.
 
I got a mail from a friend just yesterday claiming Mars would be as big as the moon. I recognized the wording of the mail. It was one I recieved before. But in the original mail the wording was "mars will appears as big as the moon in a small telescope". That still might be an exageration, but in the version I was sent yesterday, the part about "a small telescope" had been left out making it sound as if Mars would appear as big as the moon to the naked eye.

Leaving out a few key words can make a big difference in meaning.
 
Not Mars, Martians!

christina.jpg
 
Wyeth- of course. The background should have given it away.
The UFOs do change how you see things!:)
 
If Mars got close enough to see surface detail with the naked eye, we'd all be doomed.
 
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