section_path: Orbit and rotation/Orbit in respect to Earth
section_name: Orbit in respect to Earth
paragraph_text: Orbit in respect to Earth
  
  Earth and Venus have a near orbital resonance of 13:8 (Earth orbits eight times for every 13 orbits of Venus). Therefore, they approach each other and reach inferior conjunction in synodic periods of 584 days, on average. The path that Venus makes in relation to Earth viewed geocentrically draws a 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.
  
  When Venus lies between Earth and the Sun in inferior conjunction, it makes the closest approach to Earth of any planet at an average distance of 41 million km (25 million mi). Because of the decreasing eccentricity of Earth's orbit, the minimum distances will become greater over tens of thousands of years. From the year 1 to 5383, there are 526 approaches less than 40 million km (25 million mi); then, there are none for about 60,158 years.
  
  While Venus approaches Earth the closest, Mercury is more often the closest to Earth of all planets. Venus has the lowest gravitational potential difference to Earth than any other planet, needing the lowest delta-v to transfer between them.
  
  Tidally Venus exerts the third strongest tidal force on Earth, after the Moon and the Sun, though significantly less.