Jennifer Walter

7.2.2021 1:00 PM

Far, far away

Aphelion Day 2021: Here's when the Earth will be furthest from the Sun

About two weeks after the summer solstice, the Earth reaches the spot in its orbit where it’s furthest from the sun.

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This point is called aphelion, and Earth will reach it on July 5 this year.

Since our home planet travels in a lopsided, oval-shaped orbit, this phenomenon only happens once annually.

The other notable point is perihelion, where the Earth is closest to the sun.

That happens in January — about two weeks after the winter solstice.

During aphelion, the sun will appear slightly farther away than normal.

But don’t stare directly into it to try to spot a difference!

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Subtle changes in the sun’s size are invisible to the naked eye. It’s simply not worth frying your corneas.

And remember: the seasons are mainly influenced by the Earth’s tilt, not the point in its orbit. So don’t expect a notable change in temperature.

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The exact time Earth will reach aphelion this year is 6:27 PM, EST.

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We’ll be 3.4 percent further away from the sun than we were at perihelion, according to NASA.

GIF CALENDAR via Giphy

It’s not that big of a difference. But kind of like the solstice, it’s another notable day for the Solar System that you can mark on your calendar.

Read more stories about science here.

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