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I just received a forwarded message from an old friend on my mailing
list, claiming "Mars will look as large as the full moon to the ****d
eye"..."culminate Aug. 27"..."It will look like the earth has 2 moons".
Here is my reply, in hopes that this hoax finally gets laid to rest...
In Vigilance,
Daniel Joseph Min
http://www.2hot2cool.com/11/danieljosephmin/
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Dear ____,
As you know, the Stars are my forte, so please note that the message
you kindly (albeit unwittingly) forwarded is an Internet hoax that's
been floating around since 2004. Don't feel bad, because even many
amateur astronomers have been duped by this old hoax, many science-
teachers and professors! That's because not everyone truly studies
and practices astronomy nor astrology. I believe that most people
are simply too busy with other things, i.e., with life in general.
And we live in a extremely Anti-Xian society that shuns universal
knowledge for profane counterfeits. Trust is earned, never granted.
Like one Prophet wrote some centuries ago, nothing is less uncertain
than strict astronomical calculation. The Stars don't lie, hence the
Commandment against bearing false witness. The Stars of heaven bear
true witness.
Mars actually did make its historically-closest approach to Earth on
August 27, 2003, thus I had previously written and posted extensive
information about it, beginning in March of 2003.
As for this Monday August 27th 2007 anno Domini, Mars will actually
be about 18 Taurus, and the Sun will be about 9 Leo, by caelestial-
ecliptic zodiacal coordinates (against the background of the stars).
Thus Mars will be at a distance from Earth of about 1.2 astronomical
units -- that's further away from Earth than the Sun (always ~1.0 AU).
You see, Mars needs to be at inferior conjunction, meaning Earth is
directly between the Sun and Mars, or sysygy, in order for Mars to
approach nearest by the Earth, as illustrated in the diagram below:
*Sun
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*Earth
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*Mars (opposition, or inferior conjunction)
Next, are excerpts from the first two articles that I posted about
this, at the time, upcoming historical Earth-Mars perigee, in 2003:
>It takes Mars about 1.88 mean tropical years to orbit the
>Sun, which is about 687 solar days. The synodic period of
>Mars is about 780 days or 2.1 tropical years, longer than
>for any other planet in our solar system. Mars appears to
>progress through the caelestial zodiac 191.38 degrees per
>tropical year on average. With each heliacal rising, Mars
>is seen to have progressed about 408.73 degrees longitude,
>thus advancing almost 49 degrees with each synodic period.
>
>Mars turns retrograde for about 73 solar days centered on
>inferior conjunction. As the Red Planet's synodic periods
>progress against the caelestial firmament, accounting for
>Earth's precession, the observer sees that Mars' sidereal
>year is about 1.881 mean tropical years as already stated.
>
>Near inferior conjunction (opposition to Sun), Mars
>takes to turn receding by radial velocity from Earth
>Wednesday 27-Aug-2003 09:46:13 UT; Mars 0.3727187 AU:
>
> Body Caelestial Latitude r Velocity
> Sun : 8Leo53'17" + 0:00'00" R +0.9656813
> *Mars : 10Aqu32'35" - 6:38'48" - -0.2671515
> Aldebaran : 15Tau00'00" - 5:28'00" alTau
>
> Distance in A.U.:
> Eart: 0.0000000
> *Mars: 0.3727187
> Sun : 1.0104390
>
> Aspect : Sun (Leo) Opp [Aqu] Mars - a1:39'
>
>Mars reaches opposition (inferior conjunction)
>Thu 28-Aug-2003 17:58:42 UT, to wit:
>
> Body Caelestial Latitude r Velocity
> /Sun : 10Leo11'03" + 0:00'00" R +0.9662318
> \Mars : 10Aqu11'03" - 6:37'04" - -0.2674576
> Aldebaran : 15Tau00'00" - 5:28'00" alTau
So you see, the hoax began in 2004, by people who don't know
astronomy (much less, judicial astrology), spreading rumors
around the Internet. Like they say, buyer beware. And I would
say that principle applies to every claim that mortals make,
especially politicians, religious scholars, scientists, etc.
Sincerely,
Daniel
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