The ever-insightful CGP Grey (previously) discovered via research by Tomment Section, a very interesting fact regarding which planet is closest to Earth. While many linear charts put Venus as our closest neighbor, it’s actually Mercury that is the “mostest closest” to our inhabited planet due to its small orbit. In fact, this very orbit also makes Mercury closest to all planets in our solar system.
When Mars and Venus are both on the other side of the Sun, it leaves little Mercury the closest. Each of Earth’s inner three planet friends are at one time the farthest and the closest. And Mercury, with his smallest orbit, makes him never that far from Earth. At least on planetary scales.
…Once again, Mercury’s small orbit means he never goes as far away as the other planets with their bigger orbits. Thus, are you ready for this?
The orbital math that shows Mercury is the mostest closest to Jupiter is the same for all the planets and everything that orbits the sun.
Here are some further thoughts that CGP Grey had about this discovery.
