Emails and bbms about this ‘truly once in a lifetime experience’  are doing the rounds again, much as they have done since around 2003.

Sorry to disappoint eager stargazers, but this is a well-known hoax. The bbm or email typically reads:

‘ On August 27th 2014 there will be two moons. The whole world is waiting for it. On this day Mars will be very bright and like a moon. Everyone can see it with the naked eye. On this day it will be 34.65 M Miles away from earth. On this day do not forget to see this at 12.30 night. Because you will see two moons in the sky. This event will happen again in the year 2287.Please share this with all. We will not live to see this again.’

It sounds amazing! Can it possibly be true? No. It’s a hoax. Don’t believe it. Mars never appears as large as a full moon in Earth’s sky.

According to a report by Deborah Byrd on the earthsky.org website, Mars can never appear as large as a full moon as seen from Earth. The report says the moon will not be full on tonight and Mars will not be at its brightest or closest in August of 2014, or at any time in 2014. In 2014, Mars is closest to Earth on April 8, but it won’t be as close this year as in some years.

The article ends by saying: ‘Bottom line: Mars will not appear as large as the full moon on August 27, 2014. Mars will not ever appear as large as a full moon in Earth’s sky. The email – or social media – claims to the contrary are a hoax’.

See the original story on the South Coast Herald website.