Human Interest
Mars/moon hoax carried on social media platforms annually─── LERATO LELIA 17:45 Wed, 27 Aug 2014
Bloemfontein - Social media has been abuzz with news that the planet Mars will tonight appear to be as big as the moon when observed from Earth.
Matie Hoffman from the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of the Free State says this is a hoax that goes on social media every year and is in fact an impossible phenomenon.
The annual rumour was started by an event that took place on 27 August 2002 when Mars was the closest to earth it’s ever been in 60 000 years at a distance of 55 million kilometers.
The annual rumour was started by an event that took place on 27 August 2002 when Mars was the closest to earth it’s ever been in 60 000 years at a distance of 55 million kilometers.
According to Hoffman, Mars can be seen tonight when looking towards the West.
Look out for a bright red object the size of a star which is Mars and a star that looks yellow which is Saturn.
Lerato Lelia/OFM News
Matie Hoffman:
