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The earth's orbit around the sun is not a perfect circle, so there is a point at which

we are nearest to the sun, and a point at which we are farthest from it.

The point in the orbit at which we are nearest the sun is called "perihelion".

The earth passes that point at some time during the first few days in January.

In 2011, it happened on January 3.

The point in the orbit at which we are farthest from the sun is called "aphelion".

We pass it at some time during the first few days of July.

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What is the solar point?

Solar PointI don't know. I know what the subsolar point is, it's the point in a orbit (of an object around a planet) where the sun is as close to overhead as it can get. Am I close? if this is true then the solar point would most likely be noon on earth. or at scale (since he said a satelite to the sun) it could be when the center of the galaxy is closest to overhead earth of course that could be the galactic point. im not really sure either.


What celestial body does the moon orbit?

Usually the Moon (Earth's) is said to orbit Earth, although the latter is sometimes not regarded as a celestial body per se. There are also arguments based on the nature of the lunar orbit that it is actually co-orbiting the Sun along with the Earth, that Earth and our moon simply share an orbit.


How long does it take Saturn to orbit the earth?

It takes almost 30 Earth years for Saturn to go around the sun once. So, 1 year on Saturn = 29.6 years on Earth. When you turn 29 and a half, Saturn will be back in the same place it was the day you were born!


If two locations on the surface of the earth have the same local times they can be said to have the same?

If two locations on the surface of the earth have the same local times, they can be said to have the same solar time. This means that the sun is at its highest point in the sky at both locations at the same time.


Who orbited earth first?

John Glenn was said to be the first pilot to orbit the earth beginning on February 20, 1962 after four years of previous preparation within the NASA program. His mission was to be sent into space, orbit and observe Earth, and to return home safely. The qualifications for this task included having to be less than 40 years old, excellent physical shape, shorter than 5'11'', qualified jet pilots with at least 1,500 hours of flying time under their belt, and a bachelors' degree in engineering.

Related Questions

What is it called when the moon is closest to earth?

The word "perigee" means the point in an orbit when the satellite is as close as it ever gets to the Earth. The prefix "peri" means "near to", and "gee" is used to refer to the Earth's gravitational mass. The word "perihelion", from "peri" for near and the Greek name of the Sun "Helios", means "as close to the Sun as something ever gets".


When is a planet farthest from the sun?

The distance that a planet is from the Sun differs depending on the planet. However, for this question, I will use Earth. Earth is closest to the Sun when the Northern Hemisphere is in it's winter months. This is about December 21st. During Summer, The month of June, Earth is Furthest from the Sun.The point when an object is at its furthest point from the Sun in its orbit is called "aphelion".


Because the orbit of the moon is not a perfect circle there are times when it is closer to Earth When the moon is closest to Earth it is said to be at perigee When farthest from the Earth it is at?

When farthest from earth it is at apogee.


When the Moon is farthest from the Earth this point is called .?

The moon is said to be at its Perigee when at its closest point to the Earth, Apogee when at its furthest point. Perigee and Apogee can also be used for other objects when orbiting about the Earth. If we talk about objects orbiting the sun (such as the planets) we use the term Perihelion and Aphelion (the helion part coming from the latin name of helios for the sun). If the perigee coincides with a full moon, we get a `supermoon`. The moon is at its largest circumference as it is at its closest, and is also full.


What is the solar point?

Solar PointI don't know. I know what the subsolar point is, it's the point in a orbit (of an object around a planet) where the sun is as close to overhead as it can get. Am I close? if this is true then the solar point would most likely be noon on earth. or at scale (since he said a satelite to the sun) it could be when the center of the galaxy is closest to overhead earth of course that could be the galactic point. im not really sure either.


What is open orbit?

You might contrast objects in open orbit with those in closed orbit such as the Earth. Up to an approximation, and relative to the Sun, when the Earth completes an orbit around the Sun it returns to the same place in space. Thus it can be said to 'close' its orbit. Objects that do not return to the same point in space are said to be in open orbit. They might be following parabolic or hyperbolic paths, or some other more complicated locuses of points.


When the earth is nearest to the sun in its orbit it is said to be in?

It is said to be in periapsis. This is the generic word for ANY astronomical orbit; the specific word, perihelion (for an orbit specifically around the SUn) is also used.


Why is the Moon's orbit tilted?

Maybe because the earth's tilted orbital plane causes the moon to orbit tiled, if the earth was straight it has said that the moon would orbit straight line.


Where is the closest zero gravity place?

There is no "zero gravity" place. Gravity permeates all the universe. Astronauts in orbit are often said to be in zero gravity but they are, in reality, on a position where their orbital velocity balances the attraction of the Earth.


Cycle solstice rotation revolution Which of these words means 'orbit'?

Revolution. The Earth can be said to orbit the sun or to revolve around it.


How far is it the earth to Mars?

Theoretically, Mars and Earth are closest together when Earth is at farthest point from the Sun(aphelion) and Mars is at its closest to the Sun(perihelion). At that point the two would be within 54.6 million km of each other. That point is said to be theoretical because it has not been observed during recorded history. The closest known approach was in 2003, when Earth and Mars were separated by only 56 million km. On the opposite end of the scale, Mars and Earth can be 401 million km apart when they are in opposition and both are at aphelion. The average distance between the two is 225 million km.


What celestial body does the moon orbit?

Usually the Moon (Earth's) is said to orbit Earth, although the latter is sometimes not regarded as a celestial body per se. There are also arguments based on the nature of the lunar orbit that it is actually co-orbiting the Sun along with the Earth, that Earth and our moon simply share an orbit.