While Pluto's average distance from the Sun is greater than Neptune's, its highly elliptical orbit means it spends a portion of its time closer to the Sun than Neptune. This happens because Pluto's orbit is inclined and intersects with Neptune's.

Here's a quick breakdown:

* Pluto's average distance from the Sun: 39.5 AU

* Neptune's average distance from the Sun: 30.1 AU

* Pluto's orbital period: 248 years

* Pluto spends approximately 20 years closer to the Sun than Neptune.

Therefore, Pluto is closer than Neptune about 10% of the time.