Overview
- Earth reached aphelion on Monday, July 6, 2026, at about 94.5 million miles (≈152,087,774 km) from the Sun and is moving at its slowest orbital speed of the year, roughly 2,240 mph.
- Northern Hemisphere heat this week stems from the hemisphere being tilted toward the Sun, which gives it longer, more direct daylight and raises daytime temperatures.
- Because Earth's orbit is nearly circular (eccentricity ≈0.0167), sunlight at aphelion is only about 7 percent weaker than at perihelion, so distance changes have a small effect on seasonal weather.
- NASA-linked scientists say global-average temperature can be higher at aphelion because more land sits in the Northern Hemisphere and oceans store heat, with a cited estimate of roughly a 4°F (2.3°C) difference between aphelion and perihelion.
- Perihelion occurs in January at about 91.4 million miles from the Sun and the calendar dates of perihelion and aphelion drift slowly over centuries, shifting by about one day every 58 years and aligning differently with the solstices over millennia.