Final answer:
Mercury and Venus both rise and set in close proximity to the Sun when at their closest to Earth, due to their inner orbits relative to Earth's orbit. Mercury experiences a change in the apparent size of the Sun, while Venus goes through phases and can be incredibly bright, sometimes even casting shadows.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mercury and Venus rise and set closer to the Sun when they're closest to Earth. Since both of these planets are closer to the Sun than Earth, they are never visible in the middle of the night and are usually seen in the twilight sky just before sunrise or just after sunset. Mercury, which has a highly eccentric orbit, appears to change in size as it moves closer or farther from the Sun. In fact, at the location of Caloris on Mercury, the Sun appears three times larger than from Earth at Mercury's noon. Venus, which has an orbit that is almost circular and is closer to the Earth than any other planet, also goes through phases similar to the Moon. Objects that are farther away from Earth than the Sun rise and set more independently of the Sun's position.