Once In A Lifetime - Mars Closest In 5,000 Years On Aug. 27 (GALLERY)

The incredible red planet will appear as large as the full moon on Monday, August 27, 2007, the closest it has been to earth in at least 5,000 years. It could be another 60,000 years before this happens again. Between the hours of 10pm and 3am on the 27th, you will experience Mars in its glory, as it peaks at 12:30 a.m.

No one on this earth today will ever have a chance like this again.

Mars will come “within 34,649,589 miles of Earth and will be (next to the moon) the brightest object in the night sky. It will attain a magnitude of -2.9 and will appear 25.11 arc seconds wide at a modest 75-power magnification.”

This is an event that no one in recorded history has ever seen.

So says an e-mail that has circulated the world ever August, and unfortunately, scientists are deeming it a hoax. The message doesn’t promise anything if you send it to a friend, or threaten evil consequences if you don’t. In fact, the message says nothing at all about forwarding it to anyone. The message packs the readers’ minds with shock, surprise and wonder, and they instinctively want to share the possibility of a once in a lifetime event like this one.

Some are getting excited for the event, others are writing it off as BS; many bloggers are insistant that the messages are fraudulent. Believe what you will, but you can be sure I’ll be peering out at the night sky on Monday, just to be certain.