Earth: Earth will reach aphelion, the farthest point in its orbit around the Sun, at 8:30 p.m. on Monday, when the distance between the two will be about 152.1 million kilometers, according to the Jordan Astronomical Society.
According to Jordan News Agency, the Society's president, Dr. Ammar Al-Sakji, said Earth's orbital speed at that point will be approximately 29.3 kilometers per second. He said Earth will be nearly 5 million kilometers farther from the Sun than it was at perihelion, its closest point to the Sun, which occurred on January 3, 2026. However, he noted that the greater distance does not lead to lower temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere.
Al-Sakji explained that the seasons are determined by the Earth's 23.5-degree axial tilt, which affects the angle of sunlight and the length of daylight, rather than by the varying distance between Earth and the Sun.
Earth's orbit is slightly elliptical, causing the distance between the planet and the Sun to change throughout the year. As a result, Earth reaches perihelion in early January and aphelion in early July.
Al-Sakji added that the timing of aphelion and perihelion changes slightly from year to year due to the dynamics of Earth's orbit, the gravitational influence of the Moon and the planets, and gradual changes in the orbit's eccentricity.
He said the annual aphelion illustrates that seasonal changes and summer and winter temperatures are governed by the tilt and orientation of Earth's axis during its orbit, rather than by the distance between Earth and the Sun.