PORTRAITS OF EARTH AND ITS PLANETARY NEIGHBORS
FIGURE 14.1 Mars, approximately 228 million kilometers (km) from the Sun, is the smallest of the three planets discussed here. Earth is approximately 78 million km closer to the Sun and twice the diameter of Mars. Venus is approximately the same size as Earth, around 40 million km, or 30%, closer to the Sun. However, the average temperature of Venus is more than 30 times higher than Earth’s.
(NASA/JPL)