What a cool birthday present!

[cpm9ball]

On Monday, August 27, the planet Mars will be the brightest object in the night sky. It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. Mars will come within 34.65 million miles of earth, and it will look like we have two moons. The next time Mars could come this close will be in 2287.

 

I'll be 340 when that happens!

 

Chris

[MunkyMan95]

I got an email saying that last year. Stood outside for hours. Nothing.

[cpm9ball]

I got an email saying that last year. Stood outside for hours. Nothing.

 

This year, try looking up and to the east.

 

Chris

[MunkyMan95]

[WoodenJefferson]

[DC Dawg]

On Monday, August 27, the planet Mars will be the brightest object in the night sky. It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. Mars will come within 34.65 million miles of earth, and it will look like we have two moons. The next time Mars could come this close will be in 2287.

 

I'll be 140 when that happens!

 

Umm... Chris... I think you may need to check your math. If you will be 140 in 2287, that means you have not been born yet! To be 140 in 2287, you will be born in 2147. I will be 187 when you will be born.

 

If we were to say that you were born in 1947, which is more realistic, you will be 340 when it happens again.

 

Just a little fun with math!!

 

Scott

[dooly]

I got an email saying that last year. Stood outside for hours. Nothing.

 

Think that was the eclips Chad

[cpm9ball]

On Monday, August 27, the planet Mars will be the brightest object in the night sky. It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. Mars will come within 34.65 million miles of earth, and it will look like we have two moons. The next time Mars could come this close will be in 2287.

 

I'll be 140 when that happens!

 

Umm... Chris... I think you may need to check your math. If you will be 140 in 2287, that means you have not been born yet! To be 140 in 2287, you will be born in 2147. I will be 187 when you will be born.

 

If we were to say that you were born in 1947, which is more realistic, you will be 340 when it happens again.

 

Just a little fun with math!!

 

Scott

 

That's what happens when I have to fill in for my damned secretary!

 

Correction made.

 

Chris

[rrantique]

That's what happens when I have to fill in for my damned secretary!

 

 

 

 

Chris

Correction made. He said a insufficiently_thoughtful_person.

[DWLange]

I just watched "War of the Worlds" again, so I'm going to hide under my bed that night.

[MikeInFL]

I'm calling BS.

 

The moon is roughly 283,000 miles away with a diameter of 2,160 miles.

 

Mars would be roughly 35,000,000 miles away with a diameter of 4,200 miles.

 

The would be nowhere near each other in terms of visible size (ratio of diameter versus distance):

 

2,160/283,000 = 0.00763

4,200/35,000,000 = 0.00012

 

Given the above, the moon will look more than 60 times as large (measured by visible diameter) as Mars....Mike

[MikeInFL]

Looks like Snopes agrees:

 

http://www.snopes.com/science/mars.asp

[physics-fan3.14]

I'm calling BS.

 

The moon is roughly 283,000 miles away with a diameter of 2,160 miles.

 

Mars would be roughly 35,000,000 miles away with a diameter of 4,200 miles.

 

The would be nowhere near each other in terms of visible size (ratio of diameter versus distance):

 

2,160/283,000 = 0.00763

4,200/35,000,000 = 0.00012

 

Given the above, the moon will look more than 60 times as large (measured by visible diameter) as Mars....Mike

 

This hoax, or joke, or prank, or whatever you want to call it always gets me ruffled, for exactly the reason that Mike pointed out. The angular size of Mars is just never going to be that large (and if it is, that means we are in serious trouble). Yes, two or three years ago Mars did make its closest approach to earth, and yes, I looked at it and it looked just about the same size. I even looked at it through a 10 inch telescope, and it was red. But this email that keeps going around just needs to die, because the information was only partially true two or three years ago, and is definitely not true now.

[CAP Freak]

You gotta believe in Magic...

[rrantique]

Cool Slideshows!

See told ya we are the same size.

[MikeInFL]

p.s. happy birthday early, Chris.

[cpm9ball]

Sorry, guys! I guess I should have checked it out before I took the word of one of my (well-meaning) relatives. I went to NASA's website and learned that this "near-earth" event actually took place in August, 2003.

 

So, if Mars won't be around for my birthday, maybe Pluto can make an appearance. After all, Disney World is a lot closer.

 

Chris

[MunkyMan95]

Sorry, guys! I guess I should have checked it out before I took the word of one of my (well-meaning) relatives. I went to NASA's website and learned that this "near-earth" event actually took place in August, 2003.

 

So, if Mars won't be around for my birthday, maybe Pluto can make an appearance. After all, Disney World is a lot closer.

 

Chris

You'd rather see a small (by comparison) ice chunk than a large (also by comparison) red orb?

[cpm9ball]

Sorry, guys! I guess I should have checked it out before I took the word of one of my (well-meaning) relatives. I went to NASA's website and learned that this "near-earth" event actually took place in August, 2003.

 

So, if Mars won't be around for my birthday, maybe Pluto can make an appearance. After all, Disney World is a lot closer.

 

Chris

You'd rather see a small (by comparison) ice chunk than a large (also by comparison) red orb?

 

CAUTION - LOW FLYING OBJECTS

 

I was referring to the cartoon character, not the dwarf planet.

 

Chris

[Hoot]

On Monday, August 27, I'll be 340!

 

Chris

 

Sorry to hear that, Chris.

 

 

Hoot

[cpm9ball]

On Monday, August 27, I'll be 340!

 

Chris

 

Sorry to hear that, Chris.

 

 

Hoot

 

Wow, you not only write articles, but you're an editor, too! lol

 

Chris