Did you miss it?  Mars was a mere 50 million miles away earlier this week.  It will take another 15 years to be this close again, and it will be even closer (the closest EVER) in 2287.  

Remember: patience isn’t the ability to wait, but the ability to keep a great attitude while waiting.  

Planetary PS: Jupiter was recently the closest to us for the past 59 years and won’t be again for another 107 years.
And Betelgeuse? It may blow up anytime soon, but it would take 600 years for us to see the explosion.