Close encounter with Mars : Never again in our lifetime will the Red Planet be so spectacular! Due to the way Jupiter’s gravity tugs on Mars, it will come closest to earth in recorded history. Due to this, on August 27th, Mars will be the brightest object in the night sky after the moon. Astronomers even say it may even be as large as the full moon. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287.

Guys, I don’t know if this is one of those email hoaxes. And I didn’t have it confirmed. But, what the heck, it doesn’t take too much effort to just look at the sky on the 27th.

Update : This is a real incident. Madhu points to this site, which verifies possible hoaxes and urban legends. All the more reason to look up at the night sky.