On July 6, 2026, Earth will reach aphelion, the farthest point from the Sun in its orbit. On that day, the distance between Earth and the Sun will exceed 152 million kilometers. This was reported to TASS by the Moscow Planetarium. For comparison, in early January, the planet passes perihelion, the nearest point to the Sun in its orbit, at a distance of about 147 million kilometers from the star.
Due to the increased distance, the apparent size of the Sun in the sky will become minimal for the entire year. According to astronomers, the solar disk will appear roughly 3% smaller in diameter compared to early January, when Earth is closest to the star.
However, noticing this difference with the naked eye is nearly impossible. For a clear comparison, professional photographs of the Sun taken in January and July under identical shooting conditions will be required.
The Moscow Planetarium also reminds that any observations or photography of the Sun must be conducted only with special protective filters. Observing the Sun without protection can lead to serious damage to vision and burns to the retina.
Despite the fact that Earth is furthest from the Sun in July, this has practically no effect on summer temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere. The change of seasons is related not to the distance from the Sun, but to the tilt of Earth’s axis relative to the orbital plane.
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