Earth Reaches 152 Million Km Aphelion as 23.4-Degree Tilt Drives Seasons
Updated
Updated · Arab News Pakistan · Jul 7
Earth Reaches 152 Million Km Aphelion as 23.4-Degree Tilt Drives Seasons
3 articles · Updated · Arab News Pakistan · Jul 7
Summary
152 million km from the sun, Earth hit its annual aphelion on Monday at 8:30 p.m. Makkah time, marking the farthest point in its orbit.
A 23.4-degree Axial tilt—not that greater distance—drives the seasons, astronomers said, which is why the Northern Hemisphere remains in summer even at aphelion.
About 5 million km of annual distance variation comes from Earth’s elliptical orbit; at aphelion the sun looks slightly smaller, though the change is not visible to the naked eye.
Earth also moves more slowly at aphelion, slightly lengthening Northern Hemisphere summer, while astronomers said the yearly event helps explain climate patterns and dispel misconceptions about seasonal change.