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science: about the two moons on august 27th hoax e-mail

Posted Tue, 07/10/2007 - 09:42 by shehal

if you're been receiving an e-mail saying something similar to what is stated bellow, note that it is a hoax!!!!! it is scientific blasphemy!!! there is absolutely no scientific basis in that hoax e-mail (and ppl believe thats it true... read the comments bellow...) i've had friends asking "whats this about two moons being there on the 27th of august"... and i've had numerous fwds... it happened last year as well... and the year before...

anyways... its a hoax... and i've tried to simply my explanation as much as a i can... if you dont get it... feel free to ask and also dig wikipedia...

Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August.

moon is the brightest object except on new moon... and 27 august is NOT a new moon day.... in fact... its a full moon day... the moon will be very bright... according to the astronomical sky charts the moon has a magnitude of 12.32 and mars has a magnitude of 0.41... the magnitude is expressed as a log¹⁰ term... like decibels in sound intensity... so the moon is 2.512^{(12.24 - 0.42)} brighter than mars.... numerically, that is 57,500 times...

how does brightness work?

brightness (light intensity) obeys the inverse square law... that is... a lamp 1 meter away from you would have 4 times the brightness if it was 2 meters away from you... planets and moons such as mars, the moon, jupiter etc. do not emit light, instead they reflect light (from the sun)... so think of mars and the moon as giant mirrors... plant will be seen as a disc to an observer (you) on earth... the amount of light reflected would depend on the (projected) area of the object... which means that mars would reflect 4 times the amount of light than the moon... (because area of a circle is proportional to the square of its radius, A=πR²) but the moon is 470 times closer to earth than mars... which means its (470)

thus we dismiss the Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August. claim...

It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye

how big an object appears to the naked eye depends on the angle it creates with the eye, called the vision angle... if one object creates and angle of 1° and another 10°... then the latter would appear 10 times bigger than the former... and thats how vision works... and even that can be proven but i dont want to get in to that here... optical instruments such as telescopes, binoculars, microscopes, etc... they alter the vision angle... so for mars to appear as large as the moon it'll have a radius 470 times that of the moon!!!

here is a another fact you might be interested in....

the sun is 1 AU from earth and the moon is 0.0025 AU from earth.... so thats about 400 times.... the sun's radius is 696,000 km!!! and thats about 410 times!!! so the sun and the moon appears to be that of the same size... notice during solar total eclipses the moon covers the sun completely... but the corona can be seen...

thus we dismiss the It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye claim

This will cultivate on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles of earth.

34.65 million miles = 0.37 AU
on 27 august 2007 mars is 1.1802 AU away from earth!!!!
on 27 august 2005 mars is 0.6896 AU away from earth!!!!

thus we dismiss the This will cultivate on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles of earth. claim

this hoax e-mail can be traced back to 2003... and nasa had issued a notice about it saying that its a hoax... even if you compare the astronomical data back in 2005 mars would be tens of thousands of times less brighter than the moon!

the hoax e-mail reads....

Two moon on 27 August*
*27th Aug the Whole World is waiting for.............*
Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August.
It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This will cultivate on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65M miles of earth. Be sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am. It will look like the earth has 2 moons. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.
Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it again.

astronomical data... on 27 august 2007

mars is 1.1802 AU from earth (AU - astronomical unit - 1 AU = average distance between earth and sun = about 150 million kilometers)
the moon is 0.0025 AU from earth
the moon is 470 times closer to earth than mars
mars' radius is about 3,400 km
moon's radius is about 1,700 km
so, mars is about twice as big (radius) as the moon

2007 sky charts

2005 sky charts

100190 reads

Comments

by can't believe anyone fell for this!!! (not verified) - 09/02/2007 - 03:46

My son woke me up early on the morning of the 28th of Aug, 2007 2:30-3:30a.m. (Late night on the 27th of Aug.) I went out into my backyard to find, not 2 moons, but a genuine lunar eclipse. I grabbed my camera and shot about 35 shots over the course of an hour. It was awesome!!! At least there was SOMETHING of true galactic importance happening. To those who STILL believe in this hoax, I am truly concerned for your mental illness or lack of intellectual ability that enables you to be duped so effortlessly.
May god help you. :)

by Justin (not verified) - 08/28/2007 - 10:07

It was mentioned by someone that they were able to see Jupiter a few weeks ago...

I am not even the weakest of astronomers...but a few weeks ago the moon was very bright and I called my kids outside to check it out through a very cheap telescope we had laying around in the basement...

While trying to dial it in across the sky I saw the outline of something huge...it kinda looked like a darkened outline of the moon...at first i thought it was nothing more than a spot on the lense of the scope...but as i repositioned the scope...the object kept it's same perspective...

I was absolutely dumbfounded...so I went inside and searched online to find some maps of the sky...and sure enough Jupiter was supposedly right in the area I was looking...

We kept fine tuning the scope and although we could not nearly get a clear image of the object besides the outline...it was quite clear what we were looking at...

I was absolutely amazed by this...I honestly did not even know it was possible to see a planet so far away at such a large scale with such a cheap telescope...

Since then I have been very interested in our sky...and when I first saw the hoax e-mail being talked about I was very excited...what a total let down...

Thank you for explaining things in detail...

Any strong suggestions on how to get into astronomy on a cheap budget?...I would love to continue sharing experiences such as that night with my children.

by anonymous (not verified) - 08/27/2007 - 10:41

Well, here I am just reading this informative article at 1am on the 27th AFTER having set an alarm and gone out with expectations of seeing the two moons. In the future when I see an article makeing a similar questionable claim I will look into it further before I take it a given truth.
Anyway, thanks for takeing the time to write and research on this; wish I would have read your article sooner.

by anonymous (not verified) - 08/27/2007 - 07:55

Don't worry. If you think and smoke real hard you'll be able to see it.

by Jessica (not verified) - 08/27/2007 - 06:45

I am really glad that I read this article with all the facts. I was going to wake my children to witness this miracle....now I'm not. However I would like to know what other things you suggest I show them, science is not my greates subject, but it is so interesting and I want my children to succeed. Please email me with more info, I'd greatly appreciate it. Thanks.

by anonymous (not verified) - 08/27/2007 - 05:56

I beleive this is true

by anonymous (not verified) - 08/27/2007 - 03:05

awwwwwwwwe man I think this really stinks i was looking forward to seeing this why do people tell false stuff and get peoples hopes up how cruel

by Kelvin (not verified) - 08/26/2007 - 21:26

We were at my brother-in-laws last night and we all saw the moon and in the background a very dark planet Mars but you could plainly see it and no it was not lit like the moon but you can definitly see it! I understand the reflection point in this argument and I totally agree as Mars was just dim but you could see it and yes it was as big as the moon. Totally wierd and we plan on taking pictures tonight if the weather holds out.

by timer (not verified) - 08/22/2007 - 10:39

can anyone please tell me the actual time in GMT OR BST (british standard time)

by shehal - 08/23/2007 - 01:11

GMT is so 1989...
we've done away with GMT...
its called UTC now... universal time coordinator...
read this wikipedia article http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UTC

if you're asking when you'd see two moons - that'll be when you get high on some vegetable substance (read my article above)

if you want to know when the lunar eclipse is, follow this link...

by TraffCp (not verified) - 08/21/2007 - 20:45

ok well i just got that same email and as a person not into astrology i wanted to no more and came on to your site. well all i can say is thanks i would have been out there draging my familly out side to look for tha 2 moons and would have probeble felt like i've been mooned ha ha ha

thanks again :)

by anonymous (not verified) - 08/28/2007 - 11:35

Please, please, please...GO BACK TO SCHOOL!

a concerned human.

by pinah (not verified) - 08/21/2007 - 20:17

thank you for your articel about the hoax of mars. . . r u an astronom?

by office boy (not verified) - 08/21/2007 - 17:18

My sister in-law tried to tell me about this. I attempted to explain that she must have misunderstood. Then, just yesterday, people in the office were talking about it. So, here I am...searching for the lastest info. I'm not sure how people believe things like this. It's almost commom sense. I guess they just don't take the time to think about it; just want to see it. Yet, if it did happen, what would they do? Blink and go back to what ever it is that they usually do at 12:30am..?

by Ahkhan (not verified) - 08/20/2007 - 12:22

hey you all we muslim knew this going to happend because our beloved propht Mohammad (pbuh) has told 1400 years ago. so whats surprise in this.

want to know more facts he said 1400 years back and now science prooving all information correct and perfect.

[sorry i wont allow irrelevant links posted here]

by Heather (not verified) - 08/24/2007 - 23:08

WOW. So, you mean, Mohammed (pbuh) thought maybe the planet was created?! That's how I read the verse. You're right. Prophetic genious!!!

And the theory of Big Bang nucleosynthesis is still just that - a theory. Not a "profound scientific truth".

And FURTHERMORE, you're a tard.

Sorry to take things off the main topic, but I found it SO difficult to read without bashing my head into the cubical wall here.

by shehal - 08/21/2007 - 03:36

i dont get it
are you saying that mohammad said that there will be two moons not appearing on august 27th this year?

*confused*

by anonymous (not verified) - 08/22/2007 - 10:37

i said it'll appear that‚Äôs what prophet mohammed (pbuh) said.

bro/sis not only this there are plenty of things he said 1400 years ago only now proved by the latest scientist.
Example- CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE: ‚ÄòTHE BIG BANG‚Äô, ‚ÄúDo not the Unbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together (as one unit of Creation), before We clove them asunder?‚Äù [Al-Qu‚Äôran 21:30]
The striking similarity between the Qur‚Äôanic verse and ‚ÄòThe Big Bang‚Äô is inescapable! How could a book, which first appeared in the deserts of Arabia 1400 years ago, contain this profound scientific truth? and plenty if more if you wish i can give lot examples

by shehal - 08/23/2007 - 01:12

are you high?

by LOL (not verified) - 08/29/2007 - 03:25

lol i think he/she wz...

by Mike Shegog (not verified) - 08/13/2007 - 07:37

Your explanation is very exhaustive, you've obviously put a lot of work into it.
I did wonder if it wasn't too exhaustive and complex though,
I mean, for the general public. I'm not a lover of dumbing-down,
but for instance, using AUs instead of km (or even miles for Americans)
mearly serves to add an extra level of distance in communicating
an already 'complex' concept (for joe average).

I know you were trying to get the message through, but
it might be that you over did it. It probably could have
been said it in a couple of paragraphs.

Don't get me wrong, your explanation wasn't the
cause of those incredibly stupid responses like
"when will it actually happen ?".
It's amazing those people can even cross the road. :-)

Anyway,
I applaud your effort.

by shehal - 08/13/2007 - 08:38

you know what... you're right... i should put a synopsis...

by Dumbass (not verified) - 08/24/2007 - 05:24

Ya know, i'm one of the crossing-the-road challenged people... so uhhh what does synopsis mean?

by mike (not verified) - 08/12/2007 - 20:15

Mabey this is a attempt to get people to stop and take a look at the beautiful sky even if you don't see 2 moons you may enjoy the site..

by anonymous (not verified) - 08/24/2007 - 05:21

I love your point, there's too much dissapointment in the world... We should just be happy with what we get!

by anonymous (not verified) - 08/12/2007 - 17:34

So, if this is all so scientific, why can't the article writer come close to proper grammer? "Less brighter" "Plants and moons....does not emit light" Not to mention the lack of punctuation and capitalization. And we are supposed to take THIS writer seriously?

by Melissa (not verified) - 08/28/2007 - 23:50

Jill, if we are going to justify how seriously we take a person based on their English perfection, then perhaps you should look over your own post. A few weak points in your message would be the following:

- 'article writer' should be 'author'
- 'grammar' is misspelled
- 'come close to proper grammer' should be 'use proper grammar'
- 'Not to mention the lack of punctuation and capitalization.' is a sentence fragment

Shehal, thank you for writing such a wonderful and thorough explanation. I understood most of it, and I'm completely ignorant when it comes to astronomy! :)

by anonymous (not verified) - 08/28/2007 - 11:24

You are a dumb hoe.

by shehal - 08/12/2007 - 17:47

jill
thanks for pointing out grammar errors...
but... science has nothing to do with grammar
and english is not at all scientific to start with but lets not go there...
this is no literary essay
if you dont want to take the contents of this article seriously thats fine by me...

by Paul (not verified) - 08/11/2007 - 05:09

I simply cant believe the general lack of knowlege on astonomy. We must be the most illiterate country in the world. Even after this gentleman explains it in VERY SIMPLE TERMS, people still dont get it!

Common sense says this is a bunch of crap. Mars isn't much bigger than our moon. Our moon is about a quarter million miles away - while mars is about 35 million miles away. That is about 140 times further away than our moon. How could it ever look as big as our moon?? In a telescope maybe.

Mars is visible to the naked eye. It looks simular to a star. EVEN WHEN IT IS AT IT'S CLOSEST POINT TO EARTH, IT WILL STILL LOOK LIKE A STAR! Not like a big ol' moon.

A couple of people asked, "When WILL it happen then?". The only time it will happen is when either Mars or the Earth get blown out of its orbit so they come within a 1 million miles or so of each other. I dont think any of us want to wish for that.

Come on people..

by shehal - 08/12/2007 - 02:29

:) :)

by Nathaniel (not verified) - 08/10/2007 - 22:41

Same as others, I got the email, did a search and ended up here. Thanks for sharing the true. :P

by Hobbit (not verified) - 08/07/2007 - 02:57

The front staff got the hoax email and while I could generally explain why it was not so, I deeply and sincerely appreciate having the actual numbers and facts to drop on them.

Not that it'll matter, but it'll make my "toldyaso" more fun.

by Massey973 (not verified) - 08/05/2007 - 08:09

If it happened on August 27th, 2003. When will it actually happen again? Maybe it will happen this year? There always could be a Possiblitity?

by anonymous (not verified) - 08/02/2007 - 20:14

That article says that it was 35 M miles in 2003. Is that true. Im confused on that portion.

by anonymous (not verified) - 08/01/2007 - 10:17

It actually HAPPENED on 27th AUGUST 2003, FOUR YEARS AGO.
I saw it and it was beautiful!

by anonymous (not verified) - 08/11/2007 - 05:13

Are you saying you saw 2 big moons in the sky? (One being our moon, the other being Mars).

If that is what you are saying, I call bullcrap.

If you are saying Mars looked like a bright star, then say so and quit misleading the scientific inept..

by shehal - 08/12/2007 - 02:27

didnt you read the article?

by Kementari (not verified) - 08/02/2007 - 08:46

Yes it did happen in 2003 but please read this http://www.adlerplanetarium.org/online/index.shtml
before running out to your backyard like headless chickens searching for mars unless if you have a really really good telescope!

by Ozair (not verified) - 07/27/2007 - 21:32

if not on the 27th of August then when will this happen?
i don't mean that when will mars fall on earth?
but do you have any idea, after all the research you did, to when will we be able to raise a finger in the sky to point at mars??

by shehal - 07/28/2007 - 00:34

well you can point to the sky and say "thats mars" and "thats jupiter"
but it wont be as big and bright as the moon

i had a glimpse of jupiter and 3 of its moons few weeks back...

by anonymous (not verified) - 07/27/2007 - 15:23

This whole thing is really disappointed. When I got the email, I was looking forward to see it cuz it is so cool. Then when I do some research about it and find out it was a hoax, I was kinda mad..

by anonymous (not verified) - 08/24/2007 - 05:16

My best friend and I have been looking forward to this for two or three weeks! LAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by anonymous (not verified) - 07/27/2007 - 15:21

So... if this isn't happening on August 27, when will the next time it happens?

by shehal - 07/28/2007 - 00:40

didnt you read my note?
unless something alters mars' or earth's orbit around the sun - its not going to happen!!!

by Shelby (not verified) - 07/25/2007 - 22:19

Lol. Thanks for the info. I just got that email and then did a search for 27 august 2007 two moons and came here..lol. I totally wouldv'e fallen for it.

by anonymous (not verified) - 07/26/2007 - 13:55

haha.. Last time i got this mail i was literally on the terrace searching for other moon.. lolz..

by anonymous (not verified) - 07/22/2007 - 09:27

i think so that was a hoax but i have no evidence.. anyways thanks for your informative mail..

by --- don't need to know --- (not verified) - 07/21/2007 - 17:55

I believe in science but... what can happen if I just take a short time to watch the sky? If I can't see 2, at least there's one moons with many stars around it. May be that night would be the greatest night in my whole working life

by Massey973 (not verified) - 08/05/2007 - 08:17

I agree, it doesn't hurt to look, I think the last part in the email, the person does go a bit too far, as with the anyone living now wouldn't see it again... Well, make sure you have your microscope out just incase ! lol j/k.

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