Editing Venus (section)

=== Orbit in respect to Earth ===
[[File:Venus pentagram.png|thumb|Earth is positioned at the centre of the diagram, and the curve represents the direction and distance of Venus as a function of time.|alt=A complex, spiral, floral pattern with five loops encircling the middle]]

Earth and Venus have a near [[orbital resonance]] of 13:8 (Earth orbits eight times for every 13 orbits of Venus).<ref name="Bazsó">{{cite journal |last1=Bazsó |first1=A. |last2=Eybl |first2=V. |last3=Dvorak |first3=R. |last4=Pilat-Lohinger |first4=E. |last5=Lhotka |first5=C. |year=2010 |title=A survey of near-mean-motion resonances between Venus and Earth |journal=[[Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy]] |volume=107 |issue=1 |pages=63–76 |arxiv=0911.2357 |bibcode=2010CeMDA.107...63B |doi=10.1007/s10569-010-9266-6|s2cid=117795811 }}</ref>
Therefore, they approach each other and reach [[inferior conjunction]] in [[synodic period]]s of 584 days, on average.<ref name="fact" /> The path that Venus makes in relation to Earth viewed geocentrically draws a [[Pentagram#Pentagram of Venus|pentagram]] over five synodic periods, shifting every period by 144°. This pentagram of Venus is sometimes referred to as the petals of Venus due to the path's visual similarity to a flower.<ref name=Ottewel_2022/>

When Venus lies between Earth and the Sun in [[Conjunction (astronomy)#Superior and inferior|inferior]] conjunction, it makes the closest approach to Earth of any planet at an average distance of {{convert|41|e6km|e6mi|abbr=unit}}.<ref name="fact" />{{refn|group=note
|It is important to be clear about the meaning of "closeness". In the astronomical literature, the term "closest planets" often refers to the two planets that approach each other the most closely. In other words, the orbits of the two planets approach each other most closely. However, this does not mean that the two planets are closest over time. Essentially because Mercury is closer to the Sun than Venus, Mercury spends more time in proximity to Earth; it could, therefore, be said that Mercury is the planet that is "closest to Earth when averaged over time". However, using this time-average definition of "closeness", it turns out that Mercury is the closest planet to ''all'' other planets in the solar system. For that reason, arguably, the proximity-definition is not particularly helpful. An episode of the BBC Radio 4 programme "More or Less" explains the different notions of proximity well.<ref name="MoreOrLess" />
}}<ref name="MoreOrLess"/>
Because of the [[Milankovitch cycles#Orbital eccentricity|decreasing eccentricity of Earth's orbit]], the minimum distances will become greater over tens of thousands of years. From the year{{spaces}}1 to 5383, there are 526 approaches less than {{convert|40|e6km|e6mi|abbr=unit}}; then, there are none for about 60,158 years.<ref name=Solex11/>

While Venus approaches Earth the closest, Mercury is more often the closest to Earth of all planets and to any other planet.<ref name="AIP Publishing 2019 p."/><ref>{{cite magazine |title= Venus is not Earth's closest neighbour {{!}} Calculations and simulations confirm that on average, Mercury is the nearest planet to Earth-and to every other planet in the solar system. |magazine=Physics Today |doi=10.1063/PT.6.3.20190312a |first1=Tom |last1=Stockman |first2=Gabriel |last2=Monroe |first3=Samuel |last3=Cordner |date=2019 |publisher=American Institute of Physics}}</ref> Venus has the lowest [[gravitational potential]] difference to Earth than any other planet, needing the [[Delta-v budget|lowest delta-v]] to transfer between them.<ref name="Petropoulos Longuski Bonfiglio 2000 pp. 776–783"/><ref name="Taylor 2020"/>

Tidally Venus exerts the third strongest [[tidal force]] on Earth, after the Moon and the Sun, though significantly less.<ref name="Science Mission Directorate 2000">{{cite web | title=Interplanetary Low Tide | website=Science Mission Directorate | date=3 May 2000 | url=https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2000/ast04may_1m | access-date=25 June 2023 | archive-date=4 June 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604014510/https://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2000/ast04may_1m  }}</ref>