aphelion

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aphelion

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(ə-fē'lē-ən, ə-fēl'yən)
n., pl., -li·a (-lē-ə).
The point on the orbit of a celestial body that is farthest from the sun.

[From New Latin aphēlium : Greek apo-, apo- + Greek hēlios, sun.]

The point furthest from the sun of any body orbiting the sun. On 4 July the earth is at aphelion, 152 000 000 km from the sun. The dates of aphelion and perihelion advance at about 30 minutes per calendar year. See milankovitch cycles.

Note: click on a word meaning below to see its connections and related words.

The noun has one meaning:

Meaning #1: apoapsis in solar orbit; the point in the orbit of a planet or comet that is at the greatest distance from the sun
  Antonym: perihelion (meaning #1)

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