Mercury to venus distance help

[briansommers]

On page 150 of the companion it giving a distance of 100,000,000 km
There is a distance of .34 au according to http://theplanets.org is almost half at 50 Mkm

Why such a radical difference?

 

[briansommers]

I think i just came up with an answer.

Its because of where the planets could be in orbit, correct?
Im calculating the distance as if both planets would be the same point on each orbit. ?

Am i thinking correctly about this?

 

[AnotherDilbert]

Its because of where the planets could be in orbit, correct?

Yes.

They are much closer when they are both on the same side of the Sun. When they are diametrically opposite each other, on different sides of the Sun, they are much farther apart.

 

[briansommers]

Love the animation.

 

[Condottiere]

They're also moving targets, so you could be chasing your destination, or adjusting for collision.