Relative Proximity

Anyone who has even considered the possibility of Earthly
events being influenced by the heavens will take pause this week to consider
that Mars and Earth are closer right now than they have been at any time
since the dawn of human history.

Mars is usually about 140 million miles away from Earth, but on Wednesday
its orbit brought it about 34.6 million miles away, reaching the closest
point at 5:46 a.m. EDT. The planet will not be so close to Earth again
until 2287. Don’t wait up.

from the Boston Globe