What is the two closest planets to the earth?

Answer 1

It depends on when the question is asked. Mercury orbits the sun at a distance of 0.4AU, venus at 0.7AU, earth at 1 AU, and mars at 1.5AU. (next planet jupiter is at 5.2AU and is too far to affect the answer)

Depending on the planetary alignments,

- Mercury can be between 0.6 and 1.4 AU from earth

- venus can be between 0.3 and 1.7 AU from earth

- mars can be between 0.5 and 2.5 AU from earth.

Therefore, the 2 closest planets can be either mercury & venus, or mercury & mars, or venus & mars, depending on planetary alignments.

For a similar question "which 2 planets have orbits closest to earth's orbit", then the answer might be "venus & mars", unless you want to use a non-trivial measure of distance. Maybe a measure of distance based on area between the orbits instead of difference of orbit radius (in which case "venus & mercury" would be a better answer)

Answer 2

It depends on when the question is asked. mercury orbits the sun at a distance of 0.4AU, venus at 0.7AU, earth at 1 AU, and mars at 1.5AU. (next planet jupiter is at 5.2AU and is too far to affect the answer)

Depending on the planetary alignments,

- mercury can be between 0.6 and 1.4 AU from earth

- venus can be between 0.3 and 1.7 AU from earth

- mars can be between 0.5 and 2.5 AU from earth.

Therefore, the 2 closest planets can be either mercury & venus, or mercury & mars, or venus & mars, depending on planetary alignments.

For a similar question "which 2 planets have orbits closest to earth's orbit", then the answer might be "venus & mars", unless you want to use a non-trivial measure of distance. Maybe a measure of distance based on area between the orbits instead of difference of orbit radius (in which case "venus & mercury" would be a better answer)