By Tim Binnall
The appearance of two mysterious moons over Dubai last week caused a stir online and left residents of the city scratching their heads until it was revealed that the wondrous sight was actually a fantastic fabrication from the UAE government in celebration of a space milestone. The odd incident reportedly unfolded last Thursday evening when, seemingly out of nowhere, a pair of sizeable objects could be seen in the night sky. Stunned witnesses stopped their cars to get a better look at what they were seeing and videos of the puzzling 'double moon' quickly went viral on social media.
As one might imagine, UFO enthusiasts suspected that the two objects had some kind of alien explanation, while skeptical observers suggested that the scene was somehow faked. In this instance, the latter camp was proven correct as, after the event had generated a considerable amount of online buzz, the UAE Government Media Office stepped forward to take credit for creating the remarkable moment which they explained was meant to spark excitement about the impending arrival in the Martian atmosphere of the country's historic Hope Probe spacecraft.
Specifically, the two objects seen in the sky were depictions the Martian moons Phobos and Deimos as the Hope Probe would see them when it gets to the atmosphere of the Red Planet. As for how they pulled off the elaborate sight, the UAE government utilized a pair of approximately 300-foot-tall cranes supporting a massive 130-foot screen upon which a realistic picture of the two lunar bodies was projected. Fortunately, the early celebration did not jinx the mission as the Hope Probe arrived into orbit around the Red Planet on Tuesday, making the UAE the first Arab nation to arrive at Mars.