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Look up! Mars to make rare close-Earth approach on Tuesday

Posted at 11:40 AM, Oct 05, 2020
and last updated 2020-10-06 13:08:56-04

Mars will make a rare close-Earth approach this month.

According to NASA, on Tuesday, Mars will be close to Earth that the red planet will be visible with the naked eye.

NASA says Mars makes a "close approach" only once about every two years, and the next close approach won't occur until December 2022.

But events like Tuesday's are even rarer.

"The Red Planet comes close enough for exceptional viewing only once or twice every 15 or 17 years," NASA said.

"Close" doesn't exactly mean you can head over and borrow a cup of sugar from our planetary neighbor. According to NASA, the Red Planet will still be about 38.6 million miles away.

The agency's Mars 2020 mission with the Perseverance rover is expected to land on Mars in 2021.

NASA says that due to the timing of close approaches, missions to Mars typically launch every two years.

Click here to learn more about the Red Planet and Tuesday's close approach.

This story was originally published by Zac Self on KGTV in San Diego.