Aphelion POST

[science_spot]

Tomorrow is a special day for the Earth.  Tomorrow the Earth is at aphelion.  aphelion means it is at the point in its orbit where it is the furthest away from the sun.  The orbit of the Earth around the sun is in the shape of an ellipse, and the sun usn't in the middle, it's off to one side. 

Check out the drawing below from weathernewengland.

 

 

In January, when the Earth is at perihelion, meaning the closet point to the sun, we are 147.5 million kilometers apart! In July, at aphelion, we are 152.6 million kilometers apart.  That's a difference of 5 million kilometers.  You might find it weird that we are closest to the sun during our coldest months.  Seasonal temperature differences are a result of the tilt of the Earth on its axis, not by our distance from the sun at any given point in time.  To read more about it, check out SpaceWeather.

 

Happy Aphelion!

 

Tonya

AKA sunmoonstars

The Science Spot

 

 

 

[evwsquared]

Jul. 3, 2009 at 11:46 AM

Cool!

(This is the closest I could come to Happy Aphelion Day!)

[arthistmom]

Jul. 3, 2009 at 12:24 PM

Cool! Happy Aphelion Day to you!

[PaxMommy]

Jul. 7, 2009 at 3:23 PM

Eh, 5 million kilometers is just a drop in the...really enormous bucket!! Of course, it's a lot to us wee little people. Great post!