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Don_Dickle@lemmy.world to Today I Learned@lemmy.worldEnglish · 11 months ago

TIL On average, Mercury is the closest planet to Earth — and to every other planet in the solar system

en.wikipedia.org

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TIL On average, Mercury is the closest planet to Earth — and to every other planet in the solar system

en.wikipedia.org

Don_Dickle@lemmy.world to Today I Learned@lemmy.worldEnglish · 11 months ago
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Mercury (planet) - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
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  • Alinor@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    https://youtu.be/SumDHcnCRuU?si=m754GmauMaaimoRw

    CGP Grey on that subject <3

    • billwashere@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      This is awesome and 🤯 at the same time.

  • casmael@lemm.ee
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    11 months ago

    Right because it goes round so fast. I feel like this is somehow misleading tho, to be real

    • blackbelt352@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      Sort of, basically because mercury has the small orbit it spends the most time closer on average to any other planet. The CGP Grey video someone else posted is a really good explanation as to what’s going on.

      • SturgiesYrFase@lemmy.ml
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        11 months ago

        I mean, I think you basically cut the explanation to a single sentence.

        • casmael@lemm.ee
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          11 months ago

          Excellent work optimising efficiency in the pipeline srgnt 🫡

          • SturgiesYrFase@lemmy.ml
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            11 months ago

            Carry on soldier 🫡

        • blackbelt352@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          Thanks! I still def recommend checking out the video. It’s a really fascinating topic.

          • SturgiesYrFase@lemmy.ml
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            11 months ago

            I’d already saved it to my watch list. It sounded really interesting, I’ll get around to it eventually 👍

    • lunarul@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      I don’t think it’s misleading. I think a lot of people who think of Mars as the closest don’t realize that it’s only close once every 2 years or so and unimaginably far away on average (further than Mercury).

  • expatriado@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    when it is the furthest from earth, it is the least further

    • casmael@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      He doesn’t go far, that mercury fella

      • BearOfaTime@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        He doesn’t go too far enough! 😆

      • niktemadur@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        Neither too far nor too near
        The least wiggle

  • FundMECFS@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    11 months ago

    What about if you add the sun into the equation?

    • prime_number_314159@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      If you take the sun out of the equation, the planets fly apart in all directions. Hope that helps ;)

      • FundMECFS@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        11 months ago

        I mean would the planets be closer to mercury or the sun on average

        • Kethal@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          By the reasoning given for why Mercury is the closest for each planet, the Sun is the closest object for each planet, on average, excluding satellites of the planets.

          • mecfs@lemmy.world
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            11 months ago

            I would agree but unsure because there are the intricacies of orbit cycles and timings and the 3d plane of space

            • rockerface 🇺🇦@lemm.ee
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              11 months ago

              I mean, the Solar System isn’t all that 3D. Inside of the Oort Cloud, almost every notable object is on or close to the ecliptic

        • NJSpradlin@lemmy.world
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          11 months ago

          deleted by creator

          • FundMECFS@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            11 months ago

            Thanks for the attempt but your calculation is wrong, as it considers distance only on a one axis and not a two axis plane. With your circle assumption, mercury would be further than the sun on average.

            I wonder if anyone has the data without the circle assumption, and also correcting for the various other complexities.

            • NJSpradlin@lemmy.world
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              11 months ago

              deleted by creator

              • mecfs@lemmy.world
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                11 months ago

                hope my shitty drawing helps

                (replying from my alt)

                • NJSpradlin@lemmy.world
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                  deleted by creator

      • eyeon@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        I don’t think that would help, I quite like our relative location.

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