: I just learned that mercury is in fact the closest planet to the earth. What is this madness and since when?
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If you ask “What planet is closest to Earth?” that question may actually be several different question depending on how it is understood.
##What planet is closest to Earth *on average*?
**Mercury**
##What planet is closest to Earth *right now*?
**Mercury**
(Mars and Venus can both also be the answer here at any given point in time)
##What planet is closest to Earth *most of the time*?
**Mercury**
##What planet *gets* closest to Earth *ever*?
**Venus**
##What planet’s *maximal* distance to Earth *is the lowest*?
**Mercury**
The thing is that the orbit of Venus is closer to the orbit of Earth than the orbit of any other planet, but Venus and Earth end up on opposite sides of the sun half the time.
Mercury and Earth also end up on opposite sides of the sun half the time but mercury is much closer to the sun so adding Mercury’s distance to the sun to earth’s distance from the sun doesn’t add up to as much possible total distance.
So on average Mercury is closer to Earth than any other planet, is closer to us for the most time and moves away from us the least distance when it is farthest away..
Surprisingly this means is also true for all the other Planets. Mercury is the closest planet for Mars, Jupiter, Saturn and Neptun too.
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