Planetary Landscapes

A bright orange sunburst illuminates Earth's atmosphere during an orbital sunrise in this photograph from the International Space Station as it orbited 264 miles above the Caucasus Mountains. Image Credit: NASA/Chris Williams.

It’s happening today! Right now, we are sitting at the farthest point in our entire orbit around the Sun. And in the north, it's summer… https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1582862433487352&set=a.252568479850094

It's happening today!

☀️🌍 Right now, we are sitting at the farthest point in our entire orbit around the Sun. And in the north, it's summer.

On July 6 at 17:30 UTC, Earth reaches aphelion, the most distant point in its yearly journey, sitting about 152 million km from the Sun, roughly 5 million km farther than it was back in January. If distance controlled the seasons, this should be the coldest week of the year. It isn't.

Seasons are driven by Earth's 23.5 degree axial tilt, not by how close we are to the Sun. Right now the Northern Hemisphere leans toward the Sun, catching direct rays and long days, while the Southern Hemisphere leans away into winter. Same distance from the Sun for both halves of the planet. Opposite seasons. That single fact is the clearest proof that tilt, not distance, rules our year.

Crescent Earth Over Lunar Horizon | The Artemis II crew captures a faint view of a crescent Earth above the horizon on the Moon’s far side. Image Credit: NASA.