Mars as Big as the Moon? No, Stargazing Hoax Hits Facebook

After a two-year hiatus, the infamous Mars Hoax has once again reared its head.

The Mars hoax, which started in 2004, was widely circulated on the Internet under the subject header "Mars Spectacular." According to the email message, which was forwarded over and over and over to countless numbers of people, on the night of Aug. 27, Mars would make an incredibly close approach to the Earth. So close, that in the sky it would loom as large as a full moon!

The message reappeared every year, but apparently lost some steam after seven consecutive summers, and failed to turn up after 2010. Seemingly, the prank had run its course, but now it has reappeared on two new branches of social media: Facebook and Twitter. Read more...