Eugene Smith, age 10, of Visalia, Calif., for the question:

Which planet is closest to the earth?

Earth has two planet neighbors, Venus end Mars. Venus is closer to the sun than we are, Mars is farther array. But a11 three planets are busy traveling around their orbits. Venus has the shortest orbit of the three, Mars the longest Ind each planet travels at its own speed. Hence, they do not travel around the sun side by side.

Sometimes Venus is on the far side of the sun from us, sometimes on the acme side. Thv same is true; for Mars. The earth comes closest to one of her neighbors when both are on the same side of the sun.

At its closest, Mars may come within 35 million miles of the earth. This is close, but Venus comas even closer. Once in a greet while our neighbor and twin planet Venus comes within about 26 million miles of the earth.