• UGI USER
  • Jul 07, 2024
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EARTH AT APHELION

Why in the news?

  • Earth reaches its farthest point from the Sun, known as aphelion, every July, and it did so this year on 5th
source:eduhub

Why Aphelion Occurs?

The aphelion occurs due to Earth’s elliptical orbit around the Sun, a common trait for all planets in our solar system, according to geologist Kirby Runyon.

Key Points About Elliptical Orbits

  • Elliptical orbits are influenced by gravitational forces, causing deviations from perfect circles. Jupiter, being the most massive planet, has the greatest influence on these orbits.
  • Eccentricity measures an orbit’s deviation from a perfect circle.
  • Earth’s orbit has a low eccentricity of 0.017, while Mars and Pluto have higher eccentricities of 0.094 and 0.244, respectively

Impact :

  • Earth’s axial tilt primarily drives seasonal changes, not its varying distance from the Sun.
  • A more eccentric orbit would cause extreme seasonal variations, potentially making advanced civilization unsustainable.
Perihelion

  • At perihelion, when Earth is closest to the Sun, its orbital speed is fastest.
  • At aphelion, when Earth is farthest from the Sun, its orbital speed is slowest.
  • This variation in speed is essential for the dynamic equilibrium of the solar system.

Associated Article:

https://universalinstitutions.com/here-comes-the-sun/