Mars this summer

David Nakamoto wrote:
I'm beginning to be convinced that this story is some prank by someone with way

Hanlon's Razor applies here, "Never attribute to malice that which is
adequately explained by stupidity."

The "Mars August 27th" email chain letter is completely explainable by
stupidity. No malice required.

Someone found this text on the net, which had no year in it to start
with. When the author first wrote it, why would he bother with a year?
He never intended the text to be stored anywhere. Whoever found the
article this year got all excited about it, and launched the pebble that
started an avalanche.

Another completely innocent rumor started when someone wrote back in
2003 that "when viewed in a telescope at 100x, Mars will appear the size
of the full Moon." Like a perverse game of "telephone," no one even
hears the conditional clause of the sentence, only the second.

"Mars august" is now the number one search term leading to
whiteoaks.com. At least when they arrive, it says 2003 big and bold at
the top. I suspect only half the people who arrive there actually see it.

Mojo
--
Morris Jones
Monrovia, CA
http://www.whiteoaks.com
Old Town Astronomers: http://www.otastro.org

Morris Jones wrote:
Someone found this text on the net, which had no year in it to start
with. When the author first wrote it, why would he bother with a year?
He never intended the text to be stored anywhere. Whoever found the
article this year got all excited about it, and launched the pebble that
started an avalanche.


Hi:

Yep...I believe this is probably the likely explanation.

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of:_Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_
http://members.aol.com/RMOLLISE/index.html

I have to say that you two have taken all the fun out of the Conspiracy Theory.
I mean, couldn't you string it out a few more messages before giving a "rational
explanation"? ^_^


Miffed, ^_^
--- Dave
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pinprick holes in a colorless sky
Let inspired figures of light pass by
The Mighty Light of ten thousand suns
Challenges infinity, and is soon gone




"RMOLLISE" wrote in message
oups.com...


Morris Jones wrote:
Someone found this text on the net, which had no year in it to start
with. When the author first wrote it, why would he bother with a year?
He never intended the text to be stored anywhere. Whoever found the
article this year got all excited about it, and launched the pebble that
started an avalanche.


Hi:

Yep...I believe this is probably the likely explanation.

Here is a good piece regarding the "new" Mars email. It's really an=20
old email just being recirculated...

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


-Florian

I had a couple of friends forward it to me to make sure I knew about this
"great opportunity"

This email has been circulating around for a while.

See the second story at
http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1529_1.asp

Clear Skies

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/

Are you interested in understanding optics?
Try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ATM_Optics_Software/

To reply, remove Delete and change period com to period net
************************************************** ************


"Chip" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I just received a forwarded message about Mars being"huge" this summer.
25 arc seconds wide. The message went on to say that it'll be as big as
the full moon naked eye.

Like most internet messages..I don't believe it. I thought last summer
was the closest Mars would be until sometime next century. The message
went on to say that Earth and Mars would be 34,649,589 miles apart.
Is this true or not? I lean toward not. Mars was pretty spectacular last
summer. If this year is even marginally better I can't wait.
Thanks
Chip

Yeah. I got it from a friend in the paper industry.

I corrected it, after a fashion, then did some more homework, and
corrected it some more, and sent them the Snopes response, as well...

Whew! The press SUCKS!!!

They simply can't get ANYTHING right, no matter whether it's politics or
anything else!!!

IDIOTS!!!

They are our nation's dim bulb on display...

They have worked SO hard to dumb down America to believe everything they
spout, and yet, if you want a perfect example of just how bad the dumbing
down of America can get, look no further than it's collective press, one
of the principal perpetrators in and of itself...

BRAVO!!! Winners of the Darwin award for sure!!!

--
Jan Owen

To reach me directly, remove the Z, if one appears in my e-mail address...
Latitude: 33.662
Longitude: -112.3272
"CLT" wrote in message
...
I had a couple of friends forward it to me to make sure I knew about
this
"great opportunity"

This email has been circulating around for a while.

See the second story at
http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1529_1.asp

Clear Skies

Chuck Taylor
Do you observe the moon?
Try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/lunar-observing/

Are you interested in understanding optics?
Try http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ATM_Optics_Software/

To reply, remove Delete and change period com to period net
************************************************** ************


"Chip" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I just received a forwarded message about Mars being"huge" this
summer.
25 arc seconds wide. The message went on to say that it'll be as big
as
the full moon naked eye.

Like most internet messages..I don't believe it. I thought last summer
was the closest Mars would be until sometime next century. The message
went on to say that Earth and Mars would be 34,649,589 miles apart.
Is this true or not? I lean toward not. Mars was pretty spectacular
last
summer. If this year is even marginally better I can't wait.
Thanks
Chip

"Chip" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I just received a forwarded message about Mars being"huge" this summer.
25 arc seconds wide. The message went on to say that it'll be as big as
the full moon naked eye.

Like most internet messages..I don't believe it. I thought last summer
was the closest Mars would be until sometime next century. The message
went on to say that Earth and Mars would be 34,649,589 miles apart.
Is this true or not? I lean toward not. Mars was pretty spectacular last
summer. If this year is even marginally better I can't wait.
Thanks
Chip


My boss brought this article to me a couple of weeks ago - received it
in email from his father. He knows I like Mars because I have my
webcam photos framed on my desk. He was excited because he thought
he'd see Mars equal to the size of the full Moon. He lost interest
when I told him the article was from 2003 and that Mars never appeared
that big, but I did invite him to have a look through my scope this
year.

"Chip" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I just received a forwarded message about Mars being"huge" this summer.
25 arc seconds wide. The message went on to say that it'll be as big as
the full moon naked eye.

Like most internet messages..I don't believe it. I thought last summer
was the closest Mars would be until sometime next century. The message
went on to say that Earth and Mars would be 34,649,589 miles apart.
Is this true or not? I lean toward not. Mars was pretty spectacular last
summer. If this year is even marginally better I can't wait.
Thanks
Chip
Mars will be slightly better placed for Northern hemisphere observers than
it was three years ago. However the 'size', is simply the case of somebody
not knowing the difference between an arc-second, and an arc-minute. The
Moon is close to half a degree across, just under 30 arc minutes. There is
a missing factor of 60*, in the claim...

Best Wishes

"Roger Hamlett" wrote in message
...

"Chip" wrote in message
...
Hi,
I just received a forwarded message about Mars being"huge" this summer. 25
arc seconds wide. The message went on to say that it'll be as big as the full
moon naked eye.

Like most internet messages..I don't believe it. I thought last summer was
the closest Mars would be until sometime next century. The message went on to
say that Earth and Mars would be 34,649,589 miles apart.
Is this true or not? I lean toward not. Mars was pretty spectacular last
summer. If this year is even marginally better I can't wait.
Thanks
Chip
Mars will be slightly better placed for Northern hemisphere observers than it
was three years ago. However the 'size', is simply the case of somebody not
knowing the difference between an arc-second, and an arc-minute. The Moon is
close to half a degree across, just under 30 arc minutes. There is a missing
factor of 60*, in the claim...

Best Wishes


Ah, arc-seconds, arc-minutes, what's the difference to the laypublic and
especially Mr. Joe Newsman? Facts dull the story, and what's journalistic
responsibility anyways?

--- Dave
--
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Pinprick holes in a colorless sky
Let inspired figures of light pass by
The Mighty Light of ten thousand suns
Challenges infinity, and is soon gone

After my experiences with journalists, when it comes to technical
topics, they can really print some howlers.

It makes me seriously doubt journalistic accuracy in reporting on
topics that I do not know much about.

I was featured in the Los Angeles Times during the last Mars
opposition. I had my 10 inch SCT set up near the 60 inch telescope at
the Mount WIlson Observatory, and a reporter took my photo when I was
looking throgh my telescope. See:

http://www.cbsnews.com/elements/2003...17_photo.shtml

The caption in the paper the next morning said: "Matthew Ota of Orange
County, California observes Mars through his 60 inch telescope."

So I will forever be the owner of the world's smallest 60 inch
telescope, according to the Los Angeles Times.

At least the inaccurate caption did not go over AP, just the photo

Matthew Ota