On July 3, the Earth will reach aphelion: The sun will appear smaller than usual

On July 3, the Earth will pass aphelion, the point in its orbit where it is at its maximum distance from the Sun during the year. On this day, the distance between our planet and the star will be more than 152 million kilometers, which is about 5 million kilometers more than in January, when the Earth was at perihelion — the closest point to the Sun.

Since the Earth's orbit is not a perfect circle, the apparent size of the Sun on the celestial sphere varies depending on the position of the planet. At the time of aphelion, the sun's disk will have a minimum angular diameter for a year-about 31 arc minutes and 31 arc seconds. For comparison, the Sun appears several percent larger at perihelion. The difference is noticeable only when comparing photos or taking accurate measurements. Visually, it is almost imperceptible to the human eye.

The term aphelion comes from the Greek word meaning "far from the sun". They represent the farthest point in the orbit of any object orbiting the Sun. This annual astronomical fact reminds us that the earth's orbit is a slightly elongated ellipse, not a perfect circle.