Which planet is closest to the sun?

Mercury is the closest planet to the Sun in our solar system. Its proximity to the Sun is due to its position in the solar system, orbiting at an average distance of about 57 million kilometers (approximately 36 million miles) from the Sun. Mercury's orbit is highly eccentric, meaning it is not a perfect circle but rather elongated, leading to significant variations in its distance from the Sun during its orbit.

This proximity impacts its temperature and atmosphere. Mercury experiences extreme temperature fluctuations, with daytime temperatures soaring high while nighttime temperatures plummet. Despite being close to the Sun, it has a very thin atmosphere, which cannot retain heat.

Earth, Venus, and Mars are all further from the Sun than Mercury, with Earth located about 150 million kilometers (93 million miles) away and Venus situated about 108 million kilometers (67 million miles) from the Sun. Mars orbits at an average distance of about 227 million kilometers (141 million miles) from the Sun. Therefore, the positioning of these other planets contributes to their greater distance from the Sun compared to Mercury.