Aphelion Isn’t Making July Hot: It’s the Earth’s Tilt Behind Summer
Even at aphelion, the farthest point from the Sun in early July, heat remains high because the Earth’s 23.5° tilt directs more sunlight toward the Northern Hemisphere and lengthens days. Perihelion—the closest approach to the Sun—occurs in January at about 91.4 million miles, while aphelion is about 94.5 million miles away and the planet travels around 65,500 mph. The season is driven by tilt, not proximity, and daylight is gradually changing after the solstice, which helps explain why recent local heat records occur during summer.
