Aphelion Spotlight: Far from the Sun, Summer Still Wins

On July 6, 2026, Earth reaches aphelion—the farthest point from the Sun—while the Northern Hemisphere is in midsummer. The tilt of Earth’s axis (about 23.5 degrees) is the primary driver of the seasons; distance changes only modestly affect solar energy and climate (roughly a 7% difference in sunlight and about a 5°C global swing), with oceans dampening the effect. Aphelion also makes Northern summers longer and Southern summers shorter, and this timing drifts slowly over centuries due to orbital dynamics. Perihelion—the closest approach to the Sun—occurs in January, when the Sun-Earth distance is minimized.