Non Sequitur by Wiley Miller for May 27, 2009

It would be a good idea though. Because if Mars is as close as the moon, we may be in trouble.

Danae has a depth perception problem.

No, she’s just finding new and inventive ways to yank Jeffrey’s chain.

Clank, clank.

Well Jeffrey does have the approx. distance right, but Mars will still only appear about 1/5000th the size of the Moon – if it appeared the same size it would (being about twice as wide) be only a million miles away & we should definitely be worried…

And so an urban myth continues… Jeffrey can look at 3 A.M. on Aug 16, 2009 when the small slice of the New Moon rises with a tiny red Mars just above it.. It’s a cool sight, but Mars does not look the same size as the Moon.

At least Jeffery knows it’s approx. 35 million miles away. Now if the lad only knew as much math as he pretends to…

(And why wouldn’t Jeffery have given distance in SI units?)

What exactly is the range of that anti-gravity thing a ma jig?

Geeesh - I just hope the author knows he’s perpetuating one of the dumbest urban myths on the Internet. As an amateur astronomer someone mails me this one several times a year - it’s even out there now as a PowerPoint presentation - and it’s mostly wrong. It began when Mars did indeed make a close approach - but, of course, it was never anything like the size of the moon - that was in 2003, as I recall, and Mars reached a size to our eyes of about 25 arc seconds. The Moon is roughly 30 arc minutes to our eyes - we can’t even see Mars as a disc without a telescope.

Yes, the 35 million miles is correct - but the moon is about 140 times closer and appears roughly 70 times larger.

I know this is just a comic strip - but it’s a bleeep good one with some good ideas and I hate to see it perpetuating this idiocy.

Lighten up!

Isn’t it hilarious the way Jeffrey reacts?!

Danae is good at what she does.

Could also be that Jeffrey is about to learn that what he thought was going to happen really isn’t or that his calculations were off.

shrugs

Vote, SI is not officially used in the US–which, last-i-checked Maine is still part-and-parcel of.

Hi Wiley, Enjoying the show from here. Always do when Danae is involved.

Usually when Wiley takes liberties with the truth for the sake of a joke it has to do with politics or economics. I can’t believe he is trying to justify this blatant falsehood, especially in the mouth of the character that is supposed to represent science and reason compared to Danae’s emotionalism.

Wiley, you are the best, and apparently Jeffery has yanked a few other chains, next thing you know they will be selling “Mars insurance”.

To err is human. Even a little Einstein like Jeffrey makes mistakes.

O Kee Doe Kee!

for those so inclined or who don’t believe it’s a hoax, here’s the snopes link: +++++++++++++++++++++_+ Claim: Mars will be coming remarkably close to Earth this summer. Status: False. http://www.snopes.com/science/astronomy/brightmars.asp +++++++++++++++++++++_+

still, enjoying the humor…. joel

It shouldn’t even be possible for people to think that this myth is remotely plausible. It’s a sad demonstration of the poor state of education. It’s like thinking that Mount Everest is 100 miles high.

Apparently surveys of the American public show that half of them answer incorrectly when asked if the Earth goes around the sun and takes a year to do it.

Reference: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090312115133.htm

How does this happen?

Inquisitor, they’re like Sherlock Holmes - who refused to learn or remember anything not directly related to his occupation (noted in “A Study in Scarlet”). If it doesn’t matter to their day-to-day lives, they pay no attention (and then spend the rest of their time reading bleeep about various celebrities). I’m not slagging Americans alone, too much of that happens in My home and native land as well.

Wiley, Great job on this sequence! I hoped you would turn this into a spin on Internet hoaxes, and can’t wait for the inevitable triple-cross.

Although the Astronomy is based on a long standing goofy hoax, the engineering that Jeffery employs is equally fictitious, and who cares. It’s fun, anyway, because it’s all about the characters’ foibles. Not the science.

I love it so far and can’t wait to see it unfurl.

The Earth goes around the Sun? Gosh!!!

sure it was a hoax but that power point thing with Mars being big as the moon was also kinda fun - I could see myself making up junk like that if I knew how and if I had any ambition. Fooling people is fun.

this is the funniest non sequitur i’ve ever seen!

I don’t know who gets more excited. Jeffery or those who write in complaining about the hoax.

Okay Wiley, you’ve got us hooked.

Wiley, one of the things they warned us in Persuasive Speech class was the difference between what you say and what they hear. But a reminder, especially one that sticks in the mind, is always good. Thanks!

AW JEEZ PEOPLE, It’s a joke! And a really good one too. The Hoax is obvious and old. I thought EVERYONE knew that.

There ARE people who only hear what they want to regardless of what’s said; then beat you over the head with what’s wrong with their impression of your views even though you didn’t say it.

Jeffrey should pull out his time machine, go back to the beginning of the week, and NOT SAY ANYTHING!

Some comic readers are from Venus, and some are from the planet that will be colliding with earth in August.

and some of us are from Pluto (which I refuse to accept as a non-planet - just like my fifth grade teacher who refused to accept that Lake St.Clair is NOT one of the Great Lakes)

Oh gimme a bleep break! The Mars will NOT crash at our planet, Earth. Sheeshhhh! We can see it visually in the night time that will be showing this summer. I wrote about Mars when I was in fourth grade at the deaf school. Quit being worrywarts!

RR208 said, about 9 hours

And so an urban myth continues… Jeffrey can look at 3 A.M. on Aug 16, 2009 when the small slice of the New Moon rises with a tiny red Mars just above it..

It’s a cool sight, but Mars does not look the same size as the Moon.

That’s right! It will be really cool sight! I myself never see any planets passing our planet, Earth. Some of you already saw some of them in the night time that would be awesome!

Immanuel Velikovsky had a theory like this internet hoax back in the 1950s. He was full of bunkum then, and it’s still bunk now. But this take is funny.

pschearer (Sooper-GENIUS): “I can’t believe he is trying to justify this blatant falsehood(…)”

Um…WTF??? *Where* exactly is Wiley trying to “justify this blatant falsehood”??? For the past several days he’s been telling us *explicitly* that he is simply using this hoax as a framework on which to hang a story line – *and nothing more!* Danae doesn’t seem to be the *ONLY* one who hears only what they want to hear…

everyone jumps on the internet hoax as being false & no one has a problem with an anti-gravity transporter! too funny….

yyyguy, Lake Champlain isn’t either, but that was claimed by some legislator in NY to get great lakes funding money . Now, an argument could be made for Lake Nipigon, because it’s so deep, supplies a lot of water to Lake Superior, and when standing next to it, it gives you the same feeling - deep blue water as far as the eye can see. Even from a tall bluff. However, the real Great Lakes are so awesome that that all arguements break down.

Yes, a new character! Exciting, Wiley. I’m hooked - as always.

Thank you Mr. Wiley for the clarification.

I’ll look forward to where ever you take us; be it the Moon, Mars, or our inner child.

(I happen to be a high school teacher. A suprisingly large number of students believe this myth. When I use my 14” telescope to show them Mars some still are not convinced. Myth is a strong force.)

Guess I’m hooked on the posts what’s in the comic about >:D Need to scroll ALL the way UP there! Fingers can’t reach the top, might have everything topple on top of me :000

Relax people! It’s called “Non Sequitur” for a reason!

Thank you Mr. Wiley for the clarification.

I’ll look forward to where ever you take us; be it the Moon, Mars, or to our inner child.

(I happen to be a high school teacher. A surprisingly large number of students believe this myth. When I use my 14” telescope to show them Mars some still are not convinced. Myth is a strong force.)

Mars and Venus will rise about 1 hour before the sun tomorrow. Looking east, you can find red Mars and brilliant Venus. They will trade places this next few weeks.

What could top Danae and Jeffrey?

I am really looking forward to that! Perhaps a little green man from Mars??

Hey, Rey61, I’m a GENIUS only by virtue of paying for this site. If they offer a Sooper-GENIUS category, they haven’t charged my credit card yet. (What non-genius decided to rename PRO?)

As for what you don’t understand about what I was saying, you can go back a couple of years of comics and read my many disagreements with Wiley on politics and economics.