The planet closest to the Earth. Venus and Mars are the two nearest "neighbors" of the Earth

It is difficult for us to imagine the dimensions of the cosmos. It is unimaginably huge, and there is an assumption that it is simply infinite. While only guessing about what is happening outside of our Galaxy, humanity begins to explore the cosmic expanse from those planets that are nearby. Modern achievements of science and technology allow one or another method to comprehend planets close to the Earth.

At first, the most close attention was directed to the nearest space object - the Moon. After the Earth's satellite has been sufficiently studied, it's time to expand the horizons and get acquainted with the least distant planets of the solar system.

What is the closest planet to the Earth?

Considering the fact that the planets are not constantly in one place, but moving in their own orbit, the distance from one planet to another is constantly changing. The closest to the Earth is considered to be those celestial bodies whose orbits are in the neighborhood.

The nearest "neighbors" of the Earth are the second planet from the Sun - Venus, and the fourth - Mars. But if you take into account the numerical indicators, then Venus is still closer. This planet can be located at a distance from 38 million km to 261 million km, depending on the location in orbit. Mars maximally approaches our planet by 55.8 million km, and the maximum removal is about 401 million km. This confirms that the planet closest to the Earth is Venus.

The nearest "neighbor" of the Earth

On our horizon, Venus is the brightest cosmic object after the Sun and the Moon. Often she is called the twin sister of the Earth. This is due to the similarity of physical and some chemical characteristics.

The proximity of Venus to the Sun does not make it possible for people to master it. Swirling around the planet, clouds of sulfur prevent its study from orbiting satellites. But still the scientists managed to get interesting information. The surface of the planet is covered by craters and volcanoes, some of them are still active. The atmosphere is 96% carbon dioxide.

Despite the fact that Venus is inhospitable and difficult to learn, it is considered the patroness of all lovers and is named after the ancient Greek goddess of love.

What do we know about Mars?

Mars is not the planet closest to the Earth, but it is at a relatively short distance, which is a good reason for his research. It is called a red planet because of the specific bright orange color of its surface. This shade gives the iron oxides that make up the soil.

It has already been scientifically proven that the planet has water in the form of ice under a layer of soil. Some argue that a person can adapt to life on Mars by learning to produce oxygen from carbon dioxide present in the atmosphere. But the current level of development of technology and technology does not even allow us to try to translate this into reality.

How does a person study planets close to the Earth?

Venus is enveloped by a thick fog, this gives rise to speculation about the existence of water on it. None of the vehicles that were sent to investigate the nearest "neighbor" of the Earth could not be on its surface. They all burned in the atmosphere of the planet. But, despite the fact that the temperature of Venus exceeds 400 degrees Celsius, scientists continue to attempt to send a space station closer to its surface, which could give more information.

Mars is better studied than the planet closest to Earth, Venus. Successfully used to study the red planet four rovers. Two of them are functioning until today. These are automatic space vehicles that are controlled remotely. They move around the surface of Mars and transmit to the Earth photo and video materials. Also, this equipment collects data on the composition of the atmosphere of the planet, the structure of its soil and other information needed by cosmology scientists.

Studying the nearest planets, we hope that someday man will be able to perform interplanetary expeditions and comprehend all the secrets of unexplored space expanses.