July 4, 2022
Today, Earth is 94,509,598 mi (152,098,455 km) from the Sun. This is Earth’s furthest point from the Sun, which is called aphelion. Despite being far from the Sun, the northern hemisphere is now experiencing summer. This is because the seasons are not caused by the Earth’s proximity to the Sun, but by the tilt of its axis. The northern hemisphere is currently tilted toward the Sun, and in the winter, it is tilted away.
The Earth reaches its aphelion, or farthest point from the Sun, near the Summer Solstice. However, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun which creates the warmer summer months despite being farther from the Sun. Image credit: in-the-sky.org
