Earth Reaches Aphelion July Fourth

Despite the fact that it's Independence day for us here in America, earth will be at aphelion today. What aphelion? Clearly stated, the earth will be the farthest it can be from the Sun, or 1.017 Astronomical Units away. Perihelion is the exact opposite, of which we will be in six months, three million miles closer to the Sun than we are now.

An Astronomical Unit (AU - for those who are wondering) is the distance, used as a measurement, of earth and the Sun: 93 million miles (approximately). Looking for earth’s exact distance today? It’s at 94,511,923 miles. Last year, on July 6, 2010, the Earth at aphelion was closer, at 94,508,351 miles away. On earth's scales, though, that's about 3500 miles difference, 3572, to be exact.

So, as we are waiting for perihelion, here are the names of some bodies that are called at either aphelion or perihelion; some look as if a toddler thought of them!

Body	Closest approach	Farthest approach
General	Periapsis/Pericentre	Apoapsis
Galaxy	Perigalacticon	Apogalacticon
Star	Periastron	Apastron
Black hole	Perimelasma/Peribothra/Perinigricon	Apomelasma/Apobothra/Aponigricon
Sun	Perihelion	Aphelion
Mercury	Perihermion	Apohermion
Venus	Pericytherion/Pericytherean/Perikrition	Apocytherion/Apocytherean/Apokrition
Earth	Perigee	Apogee
Moon	Periselene/Pericynthion/Perilune	Aposelene/Apocynthion/Apolune
Mars	Periareion	Apoareion
Jupiter	Perizene/Perijove	Apozene/Apojove
Saturn	Perikrone/Perisaturnium	Apokrone/Aposaturnium
Uranus	Periuranion	Apouranion
Neptune	Periposeidion	Apoposeidion
Pluto	Perihadion	Apohadion