Los Angeles sources stated that earth's neighboring planet, Mars, is closer than it has been in the past 15 years, offering unusually bright views of the Red Planet's auburn hues. NASA said "The Red Planet and Earth haven't been this close since 2003, and won't be again until 2035”. Meanwhile astronomers around the world trained their telescopes on the sky on July 31, when the Red Planet was 35.8 million miles (57.6 million kilometers) away.



Sources added one popular public viewing spot was the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles, where Mars was visible with the naked eye as a bright orange spot in the sky, according to a live broadcast held to mark the celestial event. Observatory director Ed Krupp said "Mars is invading us”. Moreover NASA said the nearest point to Earth in Mars' elliptical orbit came at around 1100 GMT on Tuesday.

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Presently astronomers are interested in Mars' travel path because it helps decide the best times for spacecraft to launch. Moreover when the Sun, Earth and Mars are lined up, with Earth sitting in between, a phenomenon called "opposition" is in effect, giving the brightest view of Mars. US space agency explained “Since the Earth and Mars align in opposition about every two years, this is why most NASA missions to the Red Planet are at least two years apart to take advantage of the closer distance."

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