This image sometimes circulates on Facebook, with the claim that Mars will appear as big and bright as a full moon. It’s a hoax. Don’t believe it.
Will Mars and the moon will appear the same size in 2018? Gosh, no. What’s really amazing is the staying power of this hoax, which has its roots in a real 15-year cycle of Mars, that’s peaking – giving us an excellent year to observe Mars – in 2018. You’re likely to see it as an email – or on social media – in the form of a claim that Mars will appear as large as a full moon in Earth’s sky on a particular date. Sometimes there’s a suggestion that Mars and Earth’s moon will appear as a double moon. I’ve also
