Earth just passed its closest, a close 'guess' is September 25, 2010. Please let me know if you need the answer exact to the minute, I will calculate it by ephemeris. Add approximately 30 days each year thereafter. The next closest will be October 24, 2011, then again about November 25, 2012.
At different times, the planet closest to Jupiter can be Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars or Saturn.
The minimum distance of Jupiter from Earth (i.e. the closest approach) is equal to about 588.5x10^6 km.
Mercury Venus Earth Mars Jupiter Saturn Uranus All of them are much closer to the sun than Neptune. And just to let you know Pluto is not a planet it may be a Kuiper Belt Object with a bunch of other Kuiper Belt Objects beyond the orbit of Neptune.
mars
The closest we get to Jupiter when we pass it is about 629 million kilometers.
Jupiter is closest to Earth when Jupiter is at perihelion, and Earth is at aphelion. Perihelion is when a planet is closest to the sun. Aphelion is when the planet is farthest from the sun.
Earth and Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter
At different times, the planet closest to Jupiter can be Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars or Saturn.
Mars is the closest
earth
How many light years away is Jupiter from Earth when there closest?
The Earth and Jupiter. Earth is about 0.5 AU from Mars, whereas Jupiter is about 3.5 AU.
Mars is closest when Jupiter and Mars are on the same side of the sun. Otherwise, if earth and Jupiter are on one side and Mars on the other, then Earth is closer. If Earth and Mars are on one side and Venus and Jupiter are on the other, than Venus is closest. When Earth, Venus, and Mars are on one side, and Mercury and and Jupiter are on the other, Mercury is closest. All four are pretty much always closer to Jupiter than Saturn ever is.
The minimum distance of Jupiter from Earth (i.e. the closest approach) is equal to about 588.5x10^6 km.
Jupiter is the Jovian planet that is closest to the sun...