Common sense or even a simple search on the internet would say that Venus is the closest planet to Earth. Even educational websites and NASA literature have perpetuated this incorrect information. However, contrary to popular belief, neither Venus nor Mars is Earth's closest planetary neighbor.
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Scientists have verified through calculations and simulations that Earth is not that close to either planet. The method used to calculate the average distance between two orbiting bodies can be applied to any two objects in approximately circular, concentric, and coplanar orbits. The average distance is found to be proportional to the relative radius of the inner orbit.
What Is the Closest Planet to Earth?
In a 2019 commentary published in the magazine Physics Today, researchers highlighted how science popularizers have inadvertently spread misinformation regarding the average distance between planets. This dissemination of flawed assumptions can be attributed to carelessness, ambiguity, or groupthink within the scientific community.
The group noted that the common approach for calculating planetary distances involves subtracting the average distances of two planets from the Sun. However, this method only considers the closest proximity between the planets when they align, neglecting their varying speeds and positions.
To address this issue, the researchers introduced a new mathematical technique known as the point-circle method. This innovative approach takes into account the passage of time and calculates the average distance between multiple points on each planet's orbit. By applying the point-circle method, they found that Mercury consistently maintained the closest average distance to Earth.
Additionally, Mercury emerged as the nearest planet to other celestial bodies such as Saturn and Neptune. To verify their findings, the researchers conducted extensive simulations, mapping the positions of the planets every 24 hours for 10,000 years.
In other words, Mercury is not only closer to Earth on average than Venus, but it is also the closest average neighbor to each of the other seven planets in the Solar System due to its closer orbit around the Sun.
Not Everyone Agrees
As expected, there is disagreement among experts regarding this proposed definition of the "closest" planet. Live Science reported that Steven Beckwith, the director of the Space Science Laboratory and a professor of astronomy at UC Berkeley, who was not involved in the commentary, presents a counter-argument.
He uses a hypothetical scenario to illustrate his point, stating that if someone lives in a house where their neighbors spend half the year in another location, such as Wisconsin residents who migrate to Florida for seven months during the long winters, during that winter period, those neighbors in the other location would be physically closer.
Beckwith suggests that most people would still consider their immediate neighbors who reside next door for the majority of the year as their closest neighbors. He finds the proposed redefinition of "closest" to be interesting but not particularly groundbreaking.
Beckwith told Live Science that the interpretation of proximity depends on the context and the time frame being considered. While the mathematical method introduced in the commentary may provide a valid perspective on average distances between planets, it may not align with the conventional understanding of proximity for many individuals.
He implies that the traditional notion of physical proximity, where the closest neighbors are those in immediate proximity throughout the year, still holds significance in everyday language and understanding, despite the scientific redefinition.
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