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You might think that summer is warmer than winter because the earth is closer to the sun. But in fact, the earth’s orbit takes us farthest from the sun in summer, on a date called the aphelion. This year’s aphelion is today, July 4. EarthSky posted an interesting story from 2018 with a photo that compares the apparent size of the sun as seen from Earth at aphelion and perihelion, when the earth is closest to the sun. You can also read more about this year’s event and see some amazing photos of the recent auroras in the northern US and other places.
Composite image showing the size of the sun at aphelion (our farthest point) and perihelion (our closest point). The photos were taken 18 months apart, and a few days from the events due to adverse weather conditions, but they show an unmistakable size difference of the sun as viewed from Earth, across our yearly orbit. Image by Peter Lowenstein.
