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POLITIKOFF

Earth farther from the Sun, but scorching heat! Why is this happening?

Politiko 2025-07-06 14:51:26
Earth farther from the Sun, but scorching heat! Why is this happening?
Illustrative photo

The peak of summer is approaching for those living in Earth's Northern Hemisphere. As we brace for more sunshine and scorching temperatures, our planet is rotating to its furthest point from the sun.

On Thursday, our planet reached what is called 'aphelion' - the farthest point in its orbit around the sun, roughly 3 million miles further away than when it is closest. This happens every year in early July but the question arises: if we are further from the sun, shouldn't it be cooler?

People tend to associate proximity with warmth, so it seems natural to assume that the seasons are caused by changes in the Earth's distance from the sun. But the planet's distance has little to do with it. The real reason for seasonal temperature changes lies in the fact that the Earth is tilted.

Our planet rotates at an angle of about 23.5 degrees, which means that different parts of the globe receive more (or less) sunlight depending on the time of year. In July, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the sun, bringing longer days and higher sun angles that lead to more direct sunlight, which produces summer-like heat.

The shape of Earth's orbit plays only a small role. Although it is slightly oval rather than circular, the difference between our closest and farthest points from the sun is relatively small. Currently, Earth is about 3.1 million miles further from the sun than it is in early January when it reaches perihelion, its closest point. Compared to the average distance of 93 million miles, that's only a difference of about 3.3%.

Because sunlight is spread out as it travels, even a relatively small change in distance results in a drop of about 7% in the amount of solar energy reaching the planet. This is very small compared to the effect of Earth's tilt./ Translated by  CNN

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