Venus' distance from Earth varies significantly depending on the positions of the two planets in their orbits around the Sun.
- At its closest approach, Venus can be about 24 million miles (approximately 38 million kilometers) from Earth
- On average, this close distance is around 25 million miles (40 million kilometers)
- At its farthest, Venus can be about 162 million miles (261 million kilometers) away from Earth
- The current distance can vary; for example, recent measurements show Venus about 86.6 to 86.7 million kilometers (about 0.58 astronomical units) from Earth, with light taking roughly 4 minutes and 49 seconds to travel that distance
This variation is due to the elliptical orbits of Earth and Venus and their relative positions, with closest approaches occurring approximately every 584 days
