APHELION: SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
NEWS: Earth reaches
aphelion every July. This year it occurred on the 5th July.
WHAT’S IN THE NEWS?
Earth’s Orbit and Its Effects
Key Points
- Earth's Orbit: Earth orbits the Sun in an
elliptical path, causing varying distances between Earth and the Sun.
- Perihelion: Closest distance to the
Sun (around January 3).
- Aphelion: Farthest distance from the
Sun (around July 4).
- Axis and Sun's Rays: Earth's axis remains fixed,
causing the latitude where the Sun’s rays are perpendicular to shift as
Earth orbits the Sun.
- Equinoxes:
- Spring Equinox: March 20
- Autumnal Equinox: September 22
- Solstices:
- Winter Solstice: December 22
- Summer Solstice: June 21
- Eccentricity:
- Measures the deviation from
a perfect circle.
- Earth’s Eccentricity: 0.017 (relatively small)
- Mars: Eccentricity of 0.094
- Pluto: Eccentricity of 0.244
- Effects of Aphelion and
Perihelion:
- Aphelion: Earth receives 7% less
sunlight compared to perihelion, causing slightly milder summers and
winters in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Perihelion: Earth is closer to the
Sun, resulting in slightly warmer winters and cooler summers.
- Southern Hemisphere: The effects are reversed,
with cooler winters at aphelion and warmer summers at perihelion.
- Impact of a Perfect Circular
Orbit:
- Seasons would have equal
lengths; currently, spring and summer are slightly longer than fall and
winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
- Extreme eccentricity could
cause severe seasonal temperatures, affecting agriculture and climate
stability.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-economics/how-to-read-indias-balance-of-payments-9435678/