Comments on: Mars hoax: ‘double moon’ in late August, 2007? http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/081934/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/ Clouds and cosmos: the atmosphere and beyond! Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:34:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Larry Sessions http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/081934/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3314 Larry Sessions Mon, 03 Sep 2007 15:22:49 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/071734/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3314 Katie, I emailed you separately some time back, but have not received a response. Offhand, I do not know what your photo shows. What I do know is that Mars does not now, did not then, and never has appeared anything close to as big as the full moon. If you did not see with your eyes whatever showed up in your photo, then the part that you think may be Mars is likely an internal reflection or some defect in the camera or process. If anyone else has a photo they want to send in, post a message here and I will try to contact you. However, I can say unequivably and without hesitation that there was no "double moon" or Mars appearing "as big as the full moon" in August or any other time. Such stories may be told by sincere and honest people, but they are misguided and are in a league with stories of leprechauns and fairies. LS Katie,

I emailed you separately some time back, but have not received a response. Offhand, I do not know what your photo shows. What I do know is that Mars does not now, did not then, and never has appeared anything close to as big as the full moon. If you did not see with your eyes whatever showed up in your photo, then the part that you think may be Mars is likely an internal reflection or some defect in the camera or process.

If anyone else has a photo they want to send in, post a message here and I will try to contact you. However, I can say unequivably and without hesitation that there was no “double moon” or Mars appearing “as big as the full moon” in August or any other time. Such stories may be told by sincere and honest people, but they are misguided and are in a league with stories of leprechauns and fairies.

LS

]]> By: nikkee http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/081934/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3197 nikkee Fri, 31 Aug 2007 10:54:40 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/071734/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3197 Hi Katie, My Husband and I are really curious about your picture. We are hoping to find a pic of the event right before the actual eclipse happened. We heard that it made it look like there were "two moons in the sky". Can you please send us your picture? Also, if you know of any other pictures or websites please e-mail us and let us know. Thank you so much! Nikkee & Gary Lindley nikkeelindley@yahoo.com Hi Katie,
My Husband and I are really curious about your picture. We are hoping to find a pic of the event right before the actual eclipse happened. We heard that it made it look like there were “two moons in the sky”.
Can you please send us your picture? Also, if you know of any other pictures or websites please e-mail us and let us know.
Thank you so much!

Nikkee & Gary Lindley
nikkeelindley@yahoo.com

]]> By: Katie http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/081934/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3159 Katie Thu, 30 Aug 2007 01:22:32 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/071734/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3159 the picture i got was not as big as the full moon and i couldnt see it naked eye if there is a way i can e-mail this pic to you that would be great because im really curious as to what i took. Its a pic of the moon before the eclipse. I also had no idea of the hoax e-mail because i never received it. Was just looking for a place to upload this pic so someone could tell me what it was i got. thanks a bunch, katie the picture i got was not as big as the full moon and i couldnt see it naked eye if there is a way i can e-mail this pic to you that would be great because im really curious as to what i took. Its a pic of the moon before the eclipse. I also had no idea of the hoax e-mail because i never received it. Was just looking for a place to upload this pic so someone could tell me what it was i got. thanks a bunch,

katie

]]> By: Larry Sessions http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/081934/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3144 Larry Sessions Wed, 29 Aug 2007 11:23:43 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/071734/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3144 Wow, thanks for all your comments. Normally I would have responded more quickly, but normally I get an email notification when comments are made, but have not recently for some reason. That, combined with being caught up in other adventures kept me from responding until now. In any event, thanks to all of you for reading the blog and taking the time to comment. If I do not reply specifically to your comment here, it doesn't mean that I didn't appreciate it. Carl very astutely mentioned that the eclipsed moon this morning did indeed look like Mars. I hadn't thought of that but it is absolutely true! And to be so close to the supposed (fake) time of the "double moon" is really amazing! But as Carl and most of the rest of us know, it is just a coincidence. Interestingly, several comments have expressed the opinion that Mars really did appear as as the Full Moon. To you all I can say -- and I am not trying to be rude -- is that you are mistaken. I do now know what you saw, but you did not see Mars appearing as big as the full moon. This has never happened in recorded history, and most assuredly it did not happen Monday night or Tuesday morning. Some of you claimed to have observed something, but I do not know what you observed other than to say that is certainly not Mars appearing as big as a full moon. I personally observed both the eclipsed moon and Mars Tuesday morning, and they were separated in the sky by at least 90 degrees and did not appear anything at all alike. The moon was as big as usual, and orangish, and although Mars was bright, it was half the sky way and no larger than a pinpoint. As someone has suggested, people may claim to have seen the "double moon" because of some aspect of their psychology that makes them feel that they did in fact see it, or some may be simply making it up for whatever reason. I think some are saying it as a joke. Truth is, Mars did not appear as big as a full moon, nor was it abnormally close to earth no Tuesday morning. Currently it is relatively bright in the constellation of Taurus, but otherwise there is nothing particularly unusual about its appearance or location relative to earth. I do not mean to be rude, but I do mean to be truthful. Anyone who claims that they saw Mars as big as the full moon or that it was extraordinarily close to earth is simply wrong. LS Wow, thanks for all your comments. Normally I would have responded more quickly, but normally I get an email notification when comments are made, but have not recently for some reason. That, combined with being caught up in other adventures kept me from responding until now. In any event, thanks to all of you for reading the blog and taking the time to comment.

If I do not reply specifically to your comment here, it doesn’t mean that I didn’t appreciate it.

Carl very astutely mentioned that the eclipsed moon this morning did indeed look like Mars. I hadn’t thought of that but it is absolutely true! And to be so close to the supposed (fake) time of the “double moon” is really amazing! But as Carl and most of the rest of us know, it is just a coincidence.

Interestingly, several comments have expressed the opinion that Mars really did appear as as the Full Moon. To you all I can say — and I am not trying to be rude — is that you are mistaken. I do now know what you saw, but you did not see Mars appearing as big as the full moon. This has never happened in recorded history, and most assuredly it did not happen Monday night or Tuesday morning. Some of you claimed to have observed something, but I do not know what you observed other than to say that is certainly not Mars appearing as big as a full moon. I personally observed both the eclipsed moon and Mars Tuesday morning, and they were separated in the sky by at least 90 degrees and did not appear anything at all alike. The moon was as big as usual, and orangish, and although Mars was bright, it was half the sky way and no larger than a pinpoint.

As someone has suggested, people may claim to have seen the “double moon” because of some aspect of their psychology that makes them feel that they did in fact see it, or some may be simply making it up for whatever reason. I think some are saying it as a joke. Truth is, Mars did not appear as big as a full moon, nor was it abnormally close to earth no Tuesday morning. Currently it is relatively bright in the constellation of Taurus, but otherwise there is nothing particularly unusual about its appearance or location relative to earth. I do not mean to be rude, but I do mean to be truthful. Anyone who claims that they saw Mars as big as the full moon or that it was extraordinarily close to earth is simply wrong.

LS

]]> By: Katie http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/081934/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3143 Katie Wed, 29 Aug 2007 10:41:17 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/071734/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3143 i have proof in the picture i took but dont know how to upload it here. I would not make this up if thats what you are thinking. I was surprised when i took the picture, because i couldnt see it otherwise. i have proof in the picture i took but dont know how to upload it here. I would not make this up if thats what you are thinking. I was surprised when i took the picture, because i couldnt see it otherwise.

]]> By: Cathy http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/081934/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3134 Cathy Wed, 29 Aug 2007 05:49:07 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/071734/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3134 Is there anybody reading this with a knowledge of psychology who can tell us why some readers are making things up, just so they can say "THEY SAW IT -- NOT A HOAX -- IT'S REAL!!!!" Is this the same impulse that makes people read the kind of papers that tell us Elvis is alive and living on the Moon? Or is it the impulse to support something they WANT to be true? In the Middle Ages there was no shortage of people who "saw" saints levitating, or other miracles. Nowdays people see UFOs.... or two moons. Of course, there's always a way of seeing two moons if you want to, as in E. A. Robinson's Poem, "Mr. Flood's Party" in which an old man walking home at night with a jug sips and sips, and eventually "...amid the silver loneliness Of night he lifted up his voice and sang, Secure, with only two moons listening, Until the whole harmonious landscape rang--" Is there anybody reading this with a knowledge of psychology who can tell us why some readers are making things up, just so they can say “THEY SAW IT — NOT A HOAX — IT’S REAL!!!!”
Is this the same impulse that makes people read the kind of papers that tell us Elvis is alive and living on the Moon?
Or is it the impulse to support something they WANT to be true? In the Middle Ages there was no shortage of people who “saw” saints levitating, or other miracles. Nowdays people see UFOs…. or two moons.
Of course, there’s always a way of seeing two moons if you want to, as in E. A. Robinson’s Poem, “Mr. Flood’s Party” in which an old man walking home at night with a jug sips and sips, and eventually
“…amid the silver loneliness
Of night he lifted up his voice and sang,
Secure, with only two moons listening,
Until the whole harmonious landscape rang–”

]]> By: Katie http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/081934/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3128 Katie Tue, 28 Aug 2007 23:37:16 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/071734/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3128 So i took a picture with my 5 megapixel camera before the lunar eclipse started at 3:50 am central time. Was so bright it looked like the sun and after i took the pic and looked at it i saw a red dot next to it. A few minutes later i took another one and the red dot had moved around the moon. I am assuming that this was mars but i am unsure. Did anyone else get a picture like this?? So i took a picture with my 5 megapixel camera before the lunar eclipse started at 3:50 am central time. Was so bright it looked like the sun and after i took the pic and looked at it i saw a red dot next to it. A few minutes later i took another one and the red dot had moved around the moon. I am assuming that this was mars but i am unsure. Did anyone else get a picture like this??

]]> By: Lize http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/081934/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3121 Lize Tue, 28 Aug 2007 21:50:51 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/071734/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3121 It's now 23:45pm in South Africa and I can see mars behind the moon!!! As big as the moon!! the planets are aligned. so it's true as far as I can see! We have seen earlier this year 2 lunar eclipses and it doesn't look any like that. At 00:00 am a complete alignment would be taking place. It’s now 23:45pm in South Africa and I can see mars behind the moon!!! As big as the moon!! the planets are aligned. so it’s true as far as I can see! We have seen earlier this year 2 lunar eclipses and it doesn’t look any like that. At 00:00 am a complete alignment would be taking place.

]]> By: Dawn http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/081934/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3114 Dawn Tue, 28 Aug 2007 16:35:06 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/071734/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3114 Ok, so why? I read through pages of blog, wondering why it looks like 2 large round objects, right there on my camera? So I read this blog thinking surely someone is going to tell me why I have on a series of pictures a large round greenish shaded object in different locations around my eclipse... but NO. just people are stupid... blah blah blah. WHAT might I ask do I have these awesome pictures of? I would like to show them to people and say, its not mars... its _______. Please fill in the blanks so I can inform anyone who I send my pics to? Thanks for the ranting tyrade without explanation... made me late for work Ok, so why? I read through pages of blog, wondering why it looks like 2 large round objects, right there on my camera? So I read this blog thinking surely someone is going to tell me why I have on a series of pictures a large round greenish shaded object in different locations around my eclipse… but NO. just people are stupid… blah blah blah. WHAT might I ask do I have these awesome pictures of? I would like to show them to people and say, its not mars… its _______. Please fill in the blanks so I can inform anyone who I send my pics to?
Thanks for the ranting tyrade without explanation… made me late for work

]]> By: Earth http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/081934/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3112 Earth Tue, 28 Aug 2007 16:16:36 +0000 http://blogs.earthsky.org/larrysessions/space/071734/mars-as-big-as-the-moon/#comment-3112 It was as real as anything, looking like 2 moons, i kid u not! Good thing I didnt listen to ppl saying it wasnt real! I surely didnt miss out! It was as real as anything, looking like 2 moons, i kid u not!
Good thing I didnt listen to ppl saying it wasnt real! I surely didnt miss out!

]]>