Earth reaches aphelion 2026: Our planet's farthest point from the sun, plus a relativity-discovered planet
By
Philip Plait
Summary
Earth reaches aphelion on July 6, 2026 — its farthest point from the sun for the year, at 152,087,774.4 km. The article explains the astronomical mechanics behind aphelion, the elliptical nature of Earth's orbit, and why this doesn't cause seasons. It also covers a planet discovered via Einstein's theory of relativity, blending astronomy with physics.
Source
bskyEarth reaches aphelion 2026: Our planet's farthest point from the sun, plus a relativity-discovered planetbadastronomy.beehiiv.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledIf everything feels like it's all going downhill today, there may be an astronomical reason for that: Today, July 6, 2026 is when Earth reaches aphelion, the farthest point from the sun on our planet's slightly elliptical orbit.
Astronomers tend to measure distances using the centers of objects (the math works out best that way), and at that time the centers of Earth and the sun will be 152,087,774.4 km apart.
I got this number from the wonderful Astronomical Almanac site.
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