‘Mars Hoax Day’ Makes It Yearly Debut, The Facts About The Red Planet On August 27

• Share on google_plusone_shareShare on linkediShare on stumbleupon_badgMore Sharing Servic
  e

When Aug. 27 rolls around each year, many are led to believe it is "Mars Hoax Day," a time of year when the Red Planet comes so close to Earth that it appears as large as the full moon in the night sky.

• 

The hoax is just that, however. A hoax.

The "Mars Hoax Day" first originated in a mass email thread on Aug. 27, 2003. The widely circulated document promised the view of Mars from Earth would be "spectacular" and a one-time opportunity to see the Red Planet up close and personal.

"The Red Planet is about to be spectacular," the email said, according to NASA. "Earth is catching up with Mars [for] the closest approach between the two planets in recorded history. On August 27th ... Mars will look as large as the full moon."

In 2005, however, NASA debunked the rumors in a post entitled, "Beware The Mars Hoax."

"Here are the facts: Earth and Mars are converging for a close encounter this year on October 30th at 0319 Universal Time," NASA said in the post. "Distance: 69 million kilometers. To the unaided eye, Mars will look like a bright red star, a pinprick of light, certainly not as wide as the full Moon."

If Mars were as close as the hoax email, NASA said, it would alter Earth's natural orbit and raise "terrible tides."

NASA said, though, Mars will appear "brighter than anything else in the sky except the Sun, the Moon and Venus" from its distance on Monday.

The email likely originated in 2003 when Mars appeared the closest in recorded history to Earth at 56 million kilometers, according to NASA. Many misinterpreted that since it was the closest encounter to Earth in 60,000 years; Mars would appear as large as the moon.

Ever since the hoax email in 2003, many over the years have been tricked into believing Mars can be as large as the moon in the night sky.

The closest the Red Planet appeared to Earth in 2012 was on March 5 at 62 million kilometers, according to Astronomy.org.

While many could be disappointed about "Mars Hoax Day," there have been major strides this year on the Red Planet. Earlier in August, the NASA Curiosity Roversuccessfully landed on Mars, followed by a release of a high-resolution video of the descent to the Gale Crater taken by the MARDI descent imager. Along with the video, the Mars Curiosity Rover snapped a plethora of photos of the planet that have been shared on the NASA website.