Earth’s Aphelion on July 6: The Sun Is Furthest Away, Yet Summer Persists
Earth will reach its farthest point from the Sun (aphelion) on July 6, 2026, at 17:30 UTC, about 94.5 million miles (152.1 million km) away—roughly 3.1 million miles farther than at perihelion. The distance varies by about 3% each year due to the elliptical orbit, with aphelion at ~1.0166 AU and perihelion at ~0.98 AU. Despite being farthest from the Sun, the Northern Hemisphere is in midsummer because seasons are driven by the 23.5-degree axial tilt, not distance. At aphelion, the Sun appears about 3.4–3.6% smaller and delivers roughly 7% less energy than at perihelion, per NASA. The orbital period is about 365 days 6 hours 9 minutes, with a leap year correction; aphelion occurs about six months after perihelion.
