Mars makes its closest approach to Earth until 2035

Mars comes close enough for exceptional viewing only once or twice every 15 or 17 years.

(KYMA, KECY) - The red planet makes it's way closer to Earth in October than it will be for the next 15 years.

CNN reports Mars will be visible at night throughout October, rising the highest in the sky around midnight each evening.

It will shine in the east each evening and in the west before dawn.

The red planet makes its closest approach to Earth on October 6.

Mars will be 38,586,816 miles away from Earth. And yes, that's close for Mars. It won't be this close again until 2035.

Sources say Mars made its closest approach to Earth in 2003 after 60,000 years, coming within a distance of 34.65 million miles.

Next week, Earth will swing between Mars and the sun. This event, called Mars' opposition, occurs on October 13, when it will be directly on the opposite side of Earth from the sun, according to NASA.

Mars and Earth don't orbit the sun in perfect circles or even on the same plane. Instead, the planets have elliptical orbits shaped like ovals.

To read more on Mars, click here.