Mars Previewer II computer program VIRUS ALERT !!

Hello to everyone in the Astronomy community:

Everyone by now knows that MARS is the celestial highlight of 2003 and in the August 2003 issue of Astronomy magazine there is an article about a computer program called Mars Previewer II. This computer program contains a virus and it IS NOT a hoax. I found out about it when I download the program and my Norton AV program caught the virus an alerted me. I went to Astronomy magazines website to alert them of the virus but they were already aware of it and posted the following article on their website.

Here is the link to Astronomy Magazines website about the Mars Previewer II program:

http://www.astronomy.com/Content/Dyn...1/397ualsr.asp


After almost a month of trying to get the file removed from the website, it is still there for anyone to download.
The website for the program is http://www.astronomysight.com/as/start/books.html and the filename is mp2.zip
Within the ZIP file, the setup.exe is the file that contains the virus W95.CIH.damaged This virus is valid and has been confirmed by McAfee and Norton. DO NOT download this file especially if your anti-virus program is not up to date.

I do not work for Astronomy magazine or Astronomysight.com. I am just trying to warn everyone that I can about this because it is wrong, annoying, and can make this years close approach of Mars from a cool experience to a disaster to people that might download this and have their files damaged or computer crash. Another reason I am trying warning to everyone that I can is because people who create computer viruses make me sick !!!

Anyone that wants to email me about this or just to talk about Astronomy can email me at

Clear Skies and Happy Observing to everyone !

Larry Skaggs

This link works without a virus...

http://skyandtelescope.com/resources...icle_328_1.asp

Harvey
"Larry" wrote in message
news:eKnQa.54702$N7.7152@sccrnsc03...
Hello to everyone in the Astronomy community:

Everyone by now knows that MARS is the celestial highlight of 2003 and
in the August 2003 issue of Astronomy magazine there is an article about a
computer program called Mars Previewer II. This computer program contains a
virus and it IS NOT a hoax. I found out about it when I download the
program and my Norton AV program caught the virus an alerted me. I went to
Astronomy magazines website to alert them of the virus but they were already
aware of it and posted the following article on their website.

Here is the link to Astronomy Magazines website about the Mars Previewer
II program:

http://www.astronomy.com/Content/Dyn...1/397ualsr.asp


After almost a month of trying to get the file removed from the website, it
is still there for anyone to download.
The website for the program is
http://www.astronomysight.com/as/start/books.html and the filename is
mp2.zip
Within the ZIP file, the setup.exe is the file that contains the virus
W95.CIH.damaged This virus is valid and has been confirmed by McAfee and
Norton. DO NOT download this file especially if your anti-virus program is
not up to date.

I do not work for Astronomy magazine or Astronomysight.com. I am just
trying to warn everyone that I can about this because it is wrong, annoying,
and can make this years close approach of Mars from a cool experience to a
disaster to people that might download this and have their files damaged or
computer crash. Another reason I am trying warning to everyone that I can
is because people who create computer viruses make me sick !!!

Anyone that wants to email me about this or just to talk about Astronomy
can email me at

Clear Skies and Happy Observing to everyone !

Larry Skaggs