2015 Event A rare "blood moon" is visible tonight: the moon is in full moon phase and at its closest distance to Earth for the year, giving it a large 'supermoon' appearance; the concurrent lunar eclipse gives the large orb a red coloration 2012 Event New findings from MESSENGER, NASA's space probe, indicate almost definitively, that the north pole of Mercury, the closest planet to the Sun, has water ice buried beneath the surface 2012 Event Scientists discover the closest known rogue planet to Earth, known as CFBDSIR 2149-0403, the planet is about 100+ light years away 2012 Event The moon forms a super moon as it gets the closest to the earth for the year 2011 Event At the 2011 Melbourne Cup, the French-trained horse Dunaden wins the closest finish in the race's history 2011 Event The moon appears 30% brighter and 14% larger than at its furthest point; it reaches its closest point to Earth since 1993 2010 Event The brightest object in the night sky next to the Moon is the planet Jupiter, as it makes its closest approach to Earth since 1963 1997 Event Comet Hale-Bopp Closest Approach to Earth (1.315 AU) 1997 Event Comet Shoemaker-Holt 2 Closest Approach to Earth (1.9245 AU) 1993 Event Mars Observer comes closest to Mars 1988 Event Pioneer 6's closest approach to Earth since 1965 launch (1.87 M km) 1986 Event Halley's Comet makes closest approach to Earth this trip, 63 M km 1986 Event Halley's Comet reaches 30th perihelion (closest approach to Sun) 1982 Event Closest Indy 500, Gordon Johncock beats Rick Mears by 0.16 seconds 1981 Event Voyager 2's closest approach to Saturn (63,000 miles/100,000 km) 1979 Event Voyager I's closest approach to Jupiter (172,000 miles) 1974 Event Helios 1 launched by U.S., Germany; later makes closest flyby of Sun 1931 Event Closest NL batting race ends Chick Hafey (.3488) beats Bill Terry's 1924 Event Mars' closest approach to Earth since 10th century 1910 Event Comet Halley's closest approach to Earth in 1910 pass
