How Long Would It Really Take to Get to Each Planet?

Is Mercury the closest planet to Earth? A 10,000-year orbital simulation proves it spends more time near us than Venus does. Most people assume Venus is our nearest neighbor because of its proximity at specific points in its orbit. However, this simulation reveals that Mercury is the closest planet to Earth on average. This video breaks down the mathematics behind planetary orbits and why our traditional understanding of distance in the solar system is often misleading. Researchers ran simulations covering 10,000 years of planetary movement to track relative distances. The results show that not only is Mercury the closest planet to Earth, but it is also the closest neighbor to every other planet in our solar system. If you are interested in astronomy explained through data rather than just static diagrams, this breakdown clarifies how orbital mechanics actually function. Subscribe for weekly space science breakdowns, and tell me in the comments if you were surprised by the true distance between our planets.