The hoaxers are getting bolder, and the latest email we received is embellished with photographs, graphics and continues to include the same information from 2003 but does not tell people what year in the email, so people are naturally assuming it is this year.
Here is the text of my article to appear in the Museum News for Sept/Oct 2005.
Mars, The Great Halloween Pumpkin in the Sky!
You may have received an e-mail this summer stating that Mars will be closer to Earth than ever before. This e-mail is a hoax, recycled from 2003 when Mars made its record-breaking approach of 34 million miles. But don’t be disappointed, Mars will be nearby and visible this fall.
Here are the facts about Mars in 2005. Mars will be 43 million miles from Earth during late October and early November. A great advantage to this year’s approach is that Mars will be seen at a much higher altitude than it was in 2003, making its surface markings and polar icecaps easier to see through small telescopes.
The night of closest approach to Earth will occur on Saturday, October 29. The planet will rise at 7:13 p.m. CDT and will be closest at 11:21 p.m. CDT shining at a -2.3 magnitude, outshining all the stars. Join us at the George Observatory on Saturday nights throughout October and November while Mars will be exceptionally bright and visible.
Opposition will occur at 08:20 UT on November 07, 2005 (319.8° Ls), with an apparent planetary disk diameter of 19.9 arcsec
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