Mars set to pass closest to Earth since 2003

Mars is moving into the evening sky, just as it comes closest to Earth in 15 years.

The center of Earth and the center of Mars will be separated by 35,784,871 miles at 2:50am CDT on July 31st, 2018. This will be the closest Mars has come to our planet since August 27th, 2003 when the separation was a bit smaller -- 34,646,418 miles. Mars had not been that close to Earth since 57,617 BC.

Due to the close proximity of Mars, it will appear twice as bright than Jupiter, which can be located in the southwestern, evening sky. The Red Planet will continue to outshine its planetary counterpart through the first week of September.

There are two important dates that relate to Mars:

• JULY 27th: At 12:07am CDT, Mars will reach "opposition." This means the planet will appear directly opposite of the sun, as seen from Earth. Marts rises at sunset, stays in the sky all night, and will set as the sun rises.

• JULY 31st: As Mars inches closer to the sun by ~60,000 miles per day, it will continue to come slightly closer to Earth for a few days. The closest point for these two planets falls on the last day of July.

If you are looking to catch a glance at Mars, you will have to look low on the southern horizon. Mars is only expected around 20° to 25° above the horizon.