How accurate are these distances?

These are low-precision approximations based on NASA/JPL Table 1 mean orbital elements, valid from 1800 through 2050. They represent center-to-center ranges relative to the Earth-Moon barycenter, not topocentric observer distances. Use NASA JPL Horizons for precision work.

Why does the distance to Venus or Mars change so much?

Inner planets like Venus and Mars have orbits closer to Earth's, so when they are on the same side of the Sun the distance is small, but when they are on the opposite side the distance can be nearly double the diameter of their orbit. Outer planets change less dramatically in relative terms.

What is an astronomical unit (AU)?

The astronomical unit is defined as exactly 149,597,870.7 kilometers. It is a convenient standard unit for distances within the solar system.

Why is Pluto not included?

This comparison covers the seven other major planets relative to Earth. Pluto is classified as a dwarf planet and is not included in this major-planet view.

How often do the values update?

In live mode the distances update every 60 seconds using your device clock, and Refresh recalculates at once. When you pick a date the values are fixed at 0h UTC on that day; press Now to return to live mode.

When is Mars closest to Earth next?

The next Mars close approach is on February 20, 2027, at about 0.678 AU (101.4 million km). The approaches then get closer each time: 96.8 million km on March 29, 2029, 82.8 million km on May 12, 2031, 63.3 million km on July 5, 2033 and 56.9 million km on September 11, 2035, the closest until 2050. The full list is in the Mars table on this page.

Is Mars getting closer to Earth right now?

Each card shows whether the planet is approaching or receding and how fast, in km/s. For Mars the distance shrinks for roughly a year before each close approach and then grows again, so the answer flips about every 13 months. Mars moves toward or away from Earth at up to about 17 km/s.

How far is Jupiter from Earth?

Between about 3.95 AU (591 million km) at opposition and 6.45 AU (966 million km) near conjunction with the Sun, and about 5.26 AU on average. Light takes 33 to 54 minutes to cross that gap. Pick a date above to see the distance on a specific day.

Can I see planet distances on a past or future date?

Yes. Use the date box to compute every distance at 0h UTC on any day from 1800 through 2050, the span covered by the JPL Table 1 orbital elements. Each card also gives the date and distance of that planet's next closest approach from the chosen day.

Does this calculator send my data to an ephemeris service?

No. The calculation runs in your browser and does not send entered data or request a remote ephemeris API.

Which planet is closest to Earth?

It depends on the day. Venus makes the closest approach of any planet, about 0.27 AU, but Mercury is the closest planet on average (about 1.04 AU) because it never strays far from the Sun. Across 2000 to 2050 this model has Mercury nearest on about 46% of days, Venus on 36% and Mars on 18%. Choose Closest to Earth in the Sort menu to see today's order. Mercury, not Uranus, is also the planet closest to the Sun.

How far is Mercury from Earth in AU?

Between about 0.55 and 1.45 AU (82 to 217 million km) over 2000 to 2050 in this model, and about 1.04 AU on average. The closest and farthest figures on this page come from the same NASA/JPL orbital elements the live calculator uses, sampled from 2000 to 2050.

Planet Distance Now

See the current approximate distance from Earth and the Sun to every major planet, calculated in your browser from NASA/JPL low-precision orbital elements.

Planet distances from Earth change every day because Earth and the planets orbit the Sun at different speeds.

Calculating...

Date (0h UTC)

Sort

Distances are center-to-center approximations calculated from NASA/JPL Table 1 orbital elements (valid 1800–2050). Values refresh every 60 seconds. For precision ephemerides, use NASA JPL Horizons. Approaching or receding speed is the change in Earth–planet distance per second (range rate).

How Far Each Planet Gets From Earth (2000–2050)

Closest, average and farthest Earth–planet distance from the same orbital model, with the one-way light time at the average distance.

Planet	Closest	Average	Farthest	Light time (avg)
Mercury	0.549 AU 82M km	1.039 AU 155M km	1.452 AU 217M km	8.6 min
Venus	0.265 AU 40M km	1.137 AU 170M km	1.736 AU 260M km	9.5 min
Mars	0.373 AU 56M km	1.696 AU 254M km	2.675 AU 400M km	14.1 min
Jupiter	3.952 AU 591M km	5.260 AU 787M km	6.454 AU 966M km	43.7 min
Saturn	8.041 AU 1,203M km	9.575 AU 1,432M km	11.032 AU 1,650M km	1 h 20 min
Uranus	17.290 AU 2,587M km	19.377 AU 2,899M km	21.089 AU 3,155M km	2 h 41 min
Neptune	28.820 AU 4,311M km	29.916 AU 4,475M km	31.101 AU 4,653M km	4 h 9 min

Mars Closest Approaches 2027–2050

Mars comes closest about every 26 months, near opposition. Approaches near Mars' perihelion (2035, 2050) are the closest; dates are UTC.

Date	Distance (AU)	Million km	Million mi	Light time
Feb 20, 2027	0.678	101.4	63.0	5.6 min
Mar 29, 2029	0.647	96.8	60.2	5.4 min
May 12, 2031	0.553	82.8	51.4	4.6 min
Jul 5, 2033	0.423	63.3	39.3	3.5 min
Sep 11, 2035	0.380	56.9	35.4	3.2 min
Nov 11, 2037	0.494	73.8	45.9	4.1 min
Dec 28, 2039	0.611	91.4	56.8	5.1 min
Feb 5, 2042	0.672	100.5	62.4	5.6 min
Mar 14, 2044	0.667	99.8	62.0	5.5 min
Apr 24, 2046	0.597	89.3	55.5	5 min
Jun 12, 2048	0.474	70.9	44.1	3.9 min
Aug 15, 2050	0.374	56.0	34.8	3.1 min

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Quick answer

Planet distances from Earth change every day because Earth and the planets orbit the Sun at different speeds. Venus can come as close as about 0.27 AU (40 million km) and Mars about 0.37 AU (56 million km), while Neptune never gets nearer than about 28.8 AU (4.3 billion km).

Examples

Planet	Closest (million km)	Farthest (million km)
Mercury	82	217
Venus	40	260
Mars	56	400
Jupiter	591	966
Saturn	1,200	1,650
Neptune	4,310	4,650

Open the live table to see today's distance to every planet in AU, km or miles, sorted closest to farthest, with light travel time.

Summary

This tool calculates the approximate current distance from Earth to each planet using simplified Keplerian orbital elements and the date/time on your device. Planetary positions are computed from published mean orbital elements, then the Earth-to-planet straight-line distance is derived from their heliocentric coordinates. Results update every minute and are expressed in both astronomical units (AU) and millions of kilometers.

How it works

Your browser reads the current date and time.
Each planet's heliocentric position is estimated from NASA/JPL Table 1 mean orbital elements and secular rates, a low-precision model valid from 1800 through 2050.
The Earth-Moon barycenter position is computed with the same model.
The center-to-center straight-line distance is derived from the 3-D heliocentric coordinates.
The approach or recession speed is the change in that distance over two hours, and the next closest approach is the first minimum found by stepping forward one day at a time and refining it.
Results are displayed in AU, millions of kilometers or millions of miles and refresh every 60 seconds. Pick a date to see past or future distances instead.

Use cases

Satisfy curiosity about how far Mars or Jupiter is from Earth right now.
Support classroom discussions about the dynamic nature of planetary distances.
Compare which major planets are currently nearest to or farthest from Earth.
Understand why communication delays to Mars missions vary so dramatically.
Illustrate how the solar system is in constant motion.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-10-09 · Reviewed by Nham Vu