What is Aphelion?

Sub: Science and tech

Sec: Space sector

Context:

Earth had reached aphelion on 5th July which is the farthest distance from the Sun.

About Aphelion:

Aphelion, in astronomy, the point in the orbit of a planet, comet, or other body most distant from the Sun.
When Earth is at its aphelion in early July, it is about 4,800,000 km farther from the Sun.
Earth reaches aphelion every July.
That Earth has an aphelion is a result of its orbit being elliptical, rather than circular.
All planets in the solar system travel in elongated circles around the Sun, rather than perfect ones.
Jupiter exerts the most influence because it is the most massive planet in our solar system.
The higher the eccentricity, the more elliptical the orbit (Earth’s eccentricity is 0.017).

How far is the Earth from the Sun at aphelion?

Aphelion refers to the point in Earth’s orbit when it is farthest from the Sun, occurring around July 4 each year.
At aphelion, Earth’s distance from the Sun is about 152.1 million km.
On January 3rd, Earth is closest to the sun and the distance is around 147.5 million Kilometers. This is called Perihelion.

Does aphelion affect temperatures on Earth?

A common misconception is that Earth’s varying distance from the Sun is what gives rise to the seasons.
We get 7% less sunlight at aphelion compared to what we are exposed to at perihelion, leading to slightly milder summers and winters in the Northern Hemisphere.
This effect is offset by Earth’s tilt on its axis at different points along its orbit.

What would happen if there were no aphelion?

If our planetary orbit were a perfect circle, the seasons’ lengths would be exactly the same.
Currently, spring and summer are a few days longer than fall and winter in the Northern Hemisphere. But not much else would change.
But if something made Earth’s orbit grow more eccentric, the consequences could be catastrophic.
Seasons in the Southern Hemisphere would become too extreme — summers would be unbearably hot, and winters would be intolerably cold.
This could lead to crop failures and freezes.

What is Perihelion:

The term “perihelion” refers to the point in the orbit of a planet or other astronomical body, at which it is closest to the sun.
The word comes from Greek and literally means around (peri) the sun (helios).