Aphelion facts for kids

1. Planet at aphelion 2. Planet at perihelion 3. Sun

The aphelion is the point in the orbit of an object where it is farthest from the Sun. The point in orbit where an object is nearest to the sun is called the perihelion. The word aphelion derives from the Greek words, apo meaning away, off, apart and Helios.

The Earth's orbit has its aphelion around July 5, at which it is approximately 152.1 million kilometers or 94.5 million miles from the Sun.

Images for kids

• 

  The two-body system of interacting elliptic orbits: The smaller, satellite body (blue) orbits the primary body (yellow); both are in elliptic orbits around their common center of mass (or barycenter), (red +). ∗Periapsis and apoapsis as distances: The smallest and largest distances between the orbiter and its host body.

• 

  Keplerian orbital elements: point F, the nearest point of approach of an orbiting body, is the pericenter (also periapsis) of an orbit; point H, the farthest point of the orbiting body, is the apocenter (also apoapsis) of the orbit; and the red line between them is the line of apsides.

See also

In Spanish: Afelio para niños