(KGTV) -- Mars will make a rare close-Earth approach this month.
According to NASA, on Tuesday, October 6, Mars will be close enough to simply go outside and see with the naked eye.
NASA says this lineup happens only about once every two years. The next close approach won’t happen again until December of 2022.
Events like the one Tuesday are even rarer. "The Red Planet comes close enough for exceptional viewing only once or twice every 15 or 17 years," NASA said.
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In space terms, however, “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, due to the timing of close approaches, missions to Mars typically launch every two years.
You can learn more about the Red Planet and this year’s close approach by clicking here.
