What’s this about a giant-size Mars?
By MARK ZALOUDEK

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There's a vexing little rumor circulating on the Internet making outlandish claims about Mars.

It says the so-called "Red Planet" will loom overhead as big as the full moon.

"No one alive today will ever see this again," it proclaims. "Share this with your children and grandchildren."

The claims, which have proliferated for months through e-mails, are accompanied by enough scientific jargon to make them appear believable. Some also include side-by-side photos showing Mars and the moon the same size.

The hype has left many unsuspecting people with false hopes.

As it turns out, Mars will be closer to us than usual around Oct. 30, but it will still be only a reddish-orange dot in the sky some 43 million miles away, says Bradenton astronomer George Fleenor. It won't be the size of the full moon by a long shot.

And that's good news. If Mars snuggled up to Earth as close as the hoax suggests, its gravitational pull would create frightening tides here on Earth.

Mars was big news two years ago when it made its closest sweep past the Earth in 60,000 years.

The fourth rock from the sun, about half the size of Earth, was a "mere" 34.6 million miles away on Aug. 27, 2003. Back then it was still only a bright reddish dot in the nighttime sky. It's nearness prompted curiosity-seekers to gaze at it through high-powered telescopes set up at Mars viewing parties in Southwest Florida and around the globe.

After all, scientists said it wouldn't be that close again until the year 2287.

Fleenor chuckles at the giant-size claims turning up in e-mails, but is hard-pressed to explain their origin.

"Who's to say why they do this? Whether it was posted by kids or adults, they've taken pieces of the press releases in 2003 and omitted some things and mixed it in with gibberish," he said.

NASA has stepped in to debunk the rumor on its Web site. So has the aptly named Web site www.hoax-slayer.com.

Even though this won't be Mars' closest approach, professional and amateur astronomers still plan to haul out their telescopes this fall and winter to marvel at our planetary neighbor's polar ice cap and shadowy features.

Earth and Mars approach each other roughly every 26 months on their elliptical orbits around the sun. Every 15 to 17 years their paths draw a little bit closer.

This fall will mark Mars' regular cycle past the Earth.