During the last 25 years, when were Mars and Earth closest?

OK...here's the list:

Date.............Distance (AU)
8/12/71          0.3757
10/17/73         0.4360
12/9/75          0.5655
1/19/78          0.6532
2/26/80          0.6773
4/5/82           0.6351
5/19/84          0.5315
7/16/86          0.4036
9/22/88          0.3931
11/20/90         0.5169
1/3/93           0.6261
2/11/95          0.6757
3/20/97          0.6594
5/1/99           0.5784
6/21/01          0.4501
8/27/03          0.3727
10/30/05         0.4640
............................

Note, the opposition on August 27, 2003 at a distance of 0.3727 Astronomical Units ( = 93 million miles) is the closest opposition of Earth and Mars since before the year 1000 A.D.


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