Byline: PETER LIPSCOMB
As with the return of the swallows to Capistrano, the evening bat flight at Carlsbad Caverns, and the regularity of the moon's phases, another predictable and recurrent event has permeated the realm of cyberspace.
Perhaps you have seen it.
It is the annual "Mars Spectacular" e-mail hoax.
While the e-mail content has several variations, all have a common origin.
Following the historic opposition of Mars when the red planet came within 35 million miles of Earth on Aug. 27, 2003, a chronicle of the event was created and re-packaged with the date omitted.
First circulated in 2004, the oft-titled "Mars Spectacular" e-mail makes several extravagant and inaccurate claims.
Mars comes to opposition with Earth every 26 months or so, when both planets reach the same side in their orbit around the sun.
So, it's impossible for Mars to be at opposition every year on Aug. 27.
Another factoid states that Mars will appear as large as the full moon.
Whoa -- let's get a grip here.
The moon's average distance is around 238,000 miles.
The average distance between Earth and Mars is
140 million miles.
The only way that Mars could be seen the same size as a full moon would be if it were just half a million miles away.
If Mars ever did loom that large in the night sky, then something would be terribly wrong in our solar system.
The "Mars Spectacular" e-mail has been forwarded to me from many parts of the world, including well-meaning friends and family.
Over the years, it has morphed from a simple piece of misinformation into a full-fledged viral campaign complete with a flash-animated version that could be straight out of Universal Studios.
The fuzzy line between news and entertainment makes the World Wide Web something of a double-edged sword.
On one hand, we have easy access to late-breaking stories like the recent scarring of Jupiter's atmosphere by the second impact in just a year, or images of the July 11 total solar eclipse visible in parts of the South Pacific.
But the Internet also provides a ready platform for anybody to publish anything without the burden of factual oversight.
Last year, NASA made a release of images taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter that document Apollo landing sites.
Now, I might be too optimistic to expect that pictures showing lunar descent stages, scientific instruments and astronaut footprints will quiet those who believe the landings were staged on a Hollywood back lot.
But even though there is good fun to be had, I am hopeful that eventually we will get back on track regarding scientific fact versus fiction.
Maybe one day the "Mars Spectacular" e-mail will live up to its promise that "no one alive today will ever see this again" and fade into obscurity.
But for now, I'm not going to hold my breath.
Peter Lipscomb operates Astronomy Adventures guided night sky tours and advocates for sensible and energy-efficient lighting practices through public outreach and education. Contact him at pslipscomb@gmail.com.
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