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What is Aphelion and Perihelion and on what day does each occur?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
If a body (like the Earth) is orbiting around the Sun, we say it is closest to the Sun at perihelion and farthest from the Sun at aphelion. In 2000, perihelion for the Earth was on January 3, 2000, and aphelion was on July 4, 2000. The Earth was 91,405,436 miles from Sun at perihelion and 94,511,989 miles from Sun at aphelion. For the year 2001, perihelion will occur on January 3rd and aphelion will occur on July 4th. The actual date for perihelion and aphelion will differ from year to year. Most importantly though, you can see that the Earth is closest to the Sun in January and farthest from the Sun in July!
This may not seem right. I mean it's winter in the northern hemisphere in January when we are closest to the Sun. Shouldn't it be warmest then because we are closer? Actually, our seasons are determined by the tilt of the Earth and not by how close the Earth is to the Sun.
A few more numbers for you...the circumference of the Earth is 24,901.55 miles (40,075.16 km) at the equator. If you were to measure from the north pole to the south pole and back to the north pole, the circumference would be a bit shorter. That is because the Earth bulges a little bit around its waist (the equator). This "equatorial bulge" is caused by the Earth's spin - try spinning a water balloon as you toss it up into the air to see how this works. Tidal forces caused by the pull of gravity from the Sun and Moon also add a little to this bulge. So the pole to pole circumference is 24,859.82 miles (40,008 km).
Finally, the gravitational pull between the Earth and Sun causes the Earth to travel around, or "orbit", the Sun at a velocity of 29.8 km/sec. At the same time, the Earth also turns on its axis causing the daily cycle of day and night. This "rotational velocity" is approximately .47 km/sec. That means that at the same time we're hurtling through space at nearly 67,000 mph, we're also spinning around in circles at over 1000 mph! Whew! Almost makes you dizzy, doesn't it?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
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What is perihelion?
Planets orbit stars in elipses, or elliptical orbits, which means their orbit around the star is an oval shape, as opposed to a circle. That means that at one point they will be closest to the star, and at another point they will be the farthest. Perihelion is when the planet is closest to the star, so the perihelion date is the date of which the planet is closest to the star.
How many low tides occur each day in the Atlantic ocean?
The number of times it does.
How many deaths occur each minute?
100 deaths occur each and every minute of the day. That's more then 153000 deaths a day and over 6000 deaths per hour. Even more during a natural disaster.
How many times each days does high tide usually occur?
A hightide occurs twice a day- there are 4 tides each day, with 2 high tides and 2 low tides, happening between each 6 hours, which all together equals (1 whole) 24 hour day.
What three event occur on the day of recounted in the prologue at hat time of day does each of these happen on tuck everlasting?
the problem when maha hased lived on a street that was really sacry and then when mia and her husbain go into a fight and then last but no least when winnei had to lave his toad and he was really
What month does the earth's parihelion occur?
Parihelion is spelled "Perihelion." It is the day in which the Earth is closest to the Sun (as opposed to "Aphelion," in which it is the farthest from the Sun. Perihelion occurs at the very beginning of January and progressively moves forward over the years.
What is mercury's temperature in the day side?
It ranges from 525K to 750K depending on whether it is at perihelion or aphelion.
What is the temp for Mercury at day and night?
During the day Mercury's temperature can range from 525K - 750K depending on whether it is at its perihelion or aphelion. During the night temperatures are approximately 90K.
What is the relationship aphelion and perihelion to season?
Perihelion and aphelion have no relationship to the seasons, although they do occurat the same time each year.If you're thinking that the Summer's heat and the Winter's cold are somehow relatedto the Earth's distance from the sun, you need to be reminded that when it's Summerin your hemisphere, it's Winter in the other one. On exactly the same day !And as for the US, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Russia, and everybody else in the northernHemisphere, we are closest to the sun right in the middle of our Winter, in the first fewdays of January.
What month is the earth fartheast from the sun?
The Earth reaches aphelion, the farthest point in its orbit around the Sun, about July 3rd each year. (That date varies a day or so either way, depending on the cycle of leap years.) Here in 2011, aphelion is on July 4th at about 3PM GMT. The US Naval Observatory's "Earth's Seasons" web site (at the link below) lists the precise time of the solstices and equinoxes, and has the perihelion and aphelion down to the hour.
How many miles is earth from its star?
There are approximately 93 million miles between the sun and the earth on the average day in the year. This number varies by +/- 3 million miles between aphelion (early July) and perihelion (early January)
What season is earth closer to the sun?
The Earth orbits the Sun in an elliptical orbit. Our perihelion - the closest point of approach to the Sun - occurs around January 4 of each year. The Earth reaches aphelion , the farthest distance from the Sun, around July 4th of each year. (Those dates will vary a day or so in either direction depending on the cycle of leap years.)So the Northern hemisphere is experiencing winter at perihelion, while the southern hemisphere is in summer when the Sun is closest.
Could the earth be one mile closer to the sun?
Yes. In fact, the Earth is falling closer to the Sun every day, until it reaches perihelion on January 4. The Earth's orbit is elliptical; in fact, ALL orbits are elliptical. The difference between aphelion (furthest distance from the Sun) and perihelion (the closest distance to the Sun) for the Earth is nearly three million miles.
What is the distance between sun and earth and the earths velocity on its orbits at two points July 4 and January 3?
On January 4 each year (plus or minus one day, due to the cycle of leap years) the Earth is at its closest point of approach to the Sun, called "perihelion". On July 4, the Earth is at aphelion, its farthest distance from the Sun.
What is the time of year earth is closest to the sun?
On January 2 or 3 each year.
In which season is the earth farther away from the sun?
The Earth reaches perihelion (the closest approach to the Sun) about January 4 each year, and reaches aphelion (farthest point away from the Sun) around July 4th. These dates can vary a day or two either way, depending on the cycle of leap years. You can see the actual date each year on the Earth's Seasons web site from the U.S. Naval Observatory.
Which hemesphere is closer to the sun when it is summer in the northern hemesphere?
The perihelion of the Earth, its closest point to the Sun in its orbit, occurs on or about January 4th each year, and aphelion is about July 4 each year. These dates can vary a day or two either way depending on the cycle of leap years. So the Earth is actually a little farther away during the northern hemisphere summer, and closer to the Sun during the northern hemisphere winter! The difference is only a couple of percentage points, which isn't generally significant. The seasons are caused not by distance, but by the Earth's angular tilt; it's hot when the Sun shines down more directly, and cooler when the Sun is low on the horizon. The U.S. Naval Observatory's web page "Earth's Seasons" lists the exact times of the equinoxes, solstices, perihelion and aphelion for each year; see the link below.
