Earth’s Farthest Distance from the Sun
Earth reached Aphelion today, July 6, 2026, at 17:30 UTC (12:30 PM CDT). The Days of Earth’s Perihelion and Aphelion positions are significant astronomical measures, though they are rarely acknowledged in the news.
- Aphelion is the point of the Earth’s orbit that is farthest away from the Sun. It always happens in early July, about 2 weeks after the June solstice,
- Perihelion is the point of the Earth’s orbit that is nearest to the Sun. This always happens in early January, about 2 weeks after the December Solstice.
The words come from ancient Greek, in which helios means “Sun,” apo means “far,” and peri means “close.”
At Aphelion, Earth was roughly 94.5 million miles (152.1 million kilometers) away from the Sun, about 3.1 million miles farther than at its closest point (perihelion). Despite being at its farthest point from the Sun, the entire planet actually receives about 7% less intense sunlight, though the distance does not dictate the seasons. Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is caused by the planet’s 23.5-degree axial tilt, which points the northern half of the globe towards the Sun for longer, warmer days. (Old Farmer’s Almanac)
I’ve been following the lives of Jackie and Shadow, eagles nesting at Big Bear Lake in California. They were unsuccessful in their attempts to create life for two clutches of eggs through the last season. They express their love for one another. Each one taking turns on the nest and Shadow bringing food for Jackie who takes on the leading role.
