aphelion
Americannoun
noun
-
The point at which an orbiting body, such as a planet or comet, is farthest away from the Sun.
-
Compare apogee perihelion
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of aphelion
1650–60; Hellenized form of New Latin aphēlium < Greek *aphḗlion ( diástēma ) off-sun (distance), neuter of *aphḗlios (adj.), equivalent to ap- ap- 2 + hḗli ( os ) sun + -os adj. suffix. See apogee
Compare meaning
How does aphelion compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The most surprising thing about this cycle, though, is probably when its extremes occur on the calendar: perihelion is in January every year, while aphelion is in July.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 30, 2023
Earth reaches aphelion July 3, the most distant spot on its imperfect, annual orbit around the sun.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 1, 2017
Satellites circling Mars have seen aphelion clouds sitting close to the surface at night, then rising 20 kilometers up in the afternoon.
From Science Magazine ● Mar. 22, 2017
Mercury has a highly elliptical orbit, so that it is only about two-thirds as far from the Sun at perihelion as it is at aphelion.
From Textbooks ● Oct. 13, 2016
At present, the aphelion occurs at the time of our northern summer; and the perihelion during the summer of the southern hemisphere.
From Essays: Scientific, Political, & Speculative, Vol. I by Spencer, Herbert
Moreover, a large majority of comets would then have their aphelia in the direction of the sun’s motion, and therefore their perihelia in the opposite direction.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 7 "Columbus" to "Condottiere" by Various
Their orbits have ever since been ellipses with their aphelia in groups corresponding to the distances of the planets concerned.
From Astronomy: The Science of the Heavenly Bodies by Todd, David Peck
It is well known that those of moderately short periods are, for a reason already explained, connected with the larger planets in such a way that the cometary aphelia fall near some planetary orbit.
From A Popular History of Astronomy During the Nineteenth Century Fourth Edition by Clerke, Agnes M. (Agnes Mary)
From considerations on the aphelia of certain comets, Prof. Forbes in 1880 computed the probable position of such a body.
From Astronomical Curiosities Facts and Fallacies by Gore, J. Ellard
We find, as a matter of fact, that several periodic comets either pass near Jupiter or have their aphelia in the neighbourhood of the orbit of Jupiter.
From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 7 "Columbus" to "Condottiere" by Various
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
