Farthest Planet from Earth
The planet that holds the distinction of being the farthest from Earth is Neptune. The closest documented distance between Neptune and Earth is approximately 4.3 billion kilometers. The following list provides an overview of the distances of the planets from Earth, arranged from closest to farthest, including Neptune:
- Venus is the nearest planet to Earth, with the shortest distance between them being 40 million kilometers.
- Mars ranks second, with a minimum distance of 55 million kilometers from Earth.
- Mercury comes third, having a closest distance of 77.3 million kilometers from Earth.
- Jupiter holds the fourth position, with a minimum distance of 588 million kilometers from Earth.
- Saturn is positioned fifth, with a shortest distance of 1.2 billion kilometers from Earth.
- Uranus takes the sixth spot, featuring a minimum distance of 2.57 billion kilometers from Earth.
Is Neptune or Pluto Farther from Earth?
Since the discovery of Pluto in 1930, it was considered the most distant planet from Earth. However, in 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) established a new definition of a planet. This definition states that a celestial body must possess sufficient mass to overcome its compressive forces and attain hydrostatic equilibrium to be classified as a planet. Consequently, Pluto no longer meets this definition and is not classified as a planet in our solar system. Thus, Neptune is recognized as the farthest planet from Earth.
Interesting Facts About Neptune
Neptune is the most distant planet from the Sun and is known for its powerful winds that exceed the speed of sound. It is extremely cold and remote, with a mass 17 times greater than Earth’s. Interestingly, Neptune was the first planet whose existence was predicted mathematically, leading to its discovery in 1864. Notably, Neptune takes 165 Earth years to complete one orbit around the Sun, while it takes approximately 19 Earth hours to rotate on its axis.