Inner Solar System

                                    The four rocky planets of the inner solar system.  Image credit: NASA

Mercury is the closest planet to the sun at an average distance of 35 million miles. The elliptical orbit brings Mercury as close as 29 million miles to the sun as close as 43 million miles. To put it to scale, Mercury is an average of 0.387 AU from the sun. This means that Mercury is about a third of the distance between the Sun and Earth.
Venus is the second planet from the sun and the closest planet to Earth. Venus orbits the sun at an average distance of 0.722 AU, which equates to 67 million miles on average. Venus’s orbit causes it to drift between 66 and 68 million miles from the sun. Earth is the third planet from the sun at an average distance of one AU. Scientists base astronomical units off Earth, so one AU equals 93 million miles. Also having an elliptical orbit, Earth can be anywhere from 91 million miles from the sun to 94 million miles.
The last planet in the inner solar system is Mars. Orbiting between 127 and 155 million miles, Mars has an average distance of 142 million miles from the sun. At 1.52 AU, Mars is 1.5 times farther from the sun than Earth.

External Solar System

                                    The four gas giants of the outer solar system.  Image credit: NASA

First in the outer solar system is Jupiter. There is a big jump in distances between Mars and Jupiter, ranging from 460 million to 508 million miles from the sun. On average, Jupiter is 484 million miles from the sun, equivalent to 5.2 AU. For perspective, this shows that Earth’s orbit could fit between the Sun and Jupiter five times.
Saturn is almost twice as far from the sun as Jupiter. From 839 million miles to 938 million miles, Saturn is an average of 9.58 AU (889 million miles) from the sun. Earth’s orbit could fit inside Saturn’s orbit nearly ten times. As we move away from the sun, the planets begin to spread out exponentially.
Uranus orbits at an average distance of 1.79 billion miles from the sun. This can also be written as 19.2 AU. Uranus has a significant difference at its closest and furthest approach. Its furthest approach is 1.86 billion miles, and its closest approach is only 1.71 billion miles. Neptune is the outermost planet in the solar system. From 2.77 billion miles to 2.83 billion miles, Neptune has a giant orbit. That’s an average of 2.8 billion miles from the sun, or 30.1 AU.

Average Distance from the Sun in the Solar System

            Distance of planet from the Sun (average) Astronomical units from the Sun (average)

Hermes

35 million miles

0.387 AU

Aphrodite

67 million miles

0.722 AU

Earth

93 million miles

1 AU

Mars

142 million miles

1.52 AU

Zeus

484 million miles

5.2 AU

Saturn

889 million miles

AU$9.58

Heaven

1.79 billion miles

19.2 AU

Poseidon

2.8 billion miles

30.1 AU Sky Klein September 11, 2022 in Science