Although Earth’s neighbouring planet Mars is getting brighter again, it will not become our second moon, as promised in an e-mail doing the rounds, the Johannesburg Planetarium said on Monday.
Spokesperson Claire Flanagan said in a statement that an e-mail has been going around saying that Mars will appear as the Earth’s second moon.
”Mars is brightening up again, but, contrary to rumour, it won’t become ‘the second moon of the Earth’,” Flanagan said.
She said the headline of one version of the e-mail, which says ”Mars spectacular coming in August to the skies near you!”, refers to events of August 2003 when the Earth passed by Mars at a distance of 55,758-million kilometres, the closest the two planets had been in 60 000 years.
”Two years later, Earth is catching up with Mars to overtake it again. Not as close this time — we’ll be 69,42-million kilometres from Mars on October 30 — but worth looking out for.”
Flanagan said Mars is visible as a very bright, slightly red star high in the sky just before sunrise.
This week, it’s even easier for Mars-spotters to find our next-door-neighbour planet: take a quick look at the moon before sunrise on Wednesday July 27, ”and you’ll see Mars over to the right”.
On Thursday morning, Mars will be above the early-morning moon. — Sapa
Stargazers can get more information on the planetarium’s website