The Earth Reaches Aphelion on July 4th.
According to astronomer Chris Vaughen from SkySafari Software, who oversees the Night Sky Calendar for Space, on July 4th, the Earth will reach its aphelion, located 152.1 million kilometers from the Sun, marking the farthest point in its orbit around the star.
Calculations indicate that the exact moment the Earth reaches aphelion will be 7 AM GMT, which corresponds to 2 PM local time in Vietnam on July 4th.
Map showing Earth’s current position relative to the Sun and the three planets Mercury, Venus, and Mars. However, this is only a relative map since Earth’s orbit is elliptical – (Photo: SPACE)
At aphelion, the Earth will be more than 1.67% farther from the Sun compared to the average distance between the Earth and the Sun. The average distance between the Earth and the Sun is the standard measure known as “astronomical unit” (AU), which is equivalent to 149.6 million kilometers.
Despite being farther from the Sun, residents of the Northern Hemisphere will still experience a hot summer day due to the tilt of the Earth relative to its parent star. The tilt is what significantly affects the amount of heat the Earth receives from the Sun, rather than the distance.
The reason the Earth has aphelion (farthest from the Sun) and perihelion (closest to the Sun) points is that its orbit around the Sun is distinctly elliptical. In the entire solar system, only Venus has an almost perfectly circular orbit.
Astronomers advise against attempting to observe the Sun, as this distance is not perceptible to the naked eye. Furthermore, sunlight can be harmful to the eyes, potentially causing damage even when viewed with the naked eye, binoculars, or telescopes. Even solar eclipses can only be viewed with special glasses designed to protect the eyes.
