aphelion

[ uh-fee-lee-uhn, uh-feel-yuhn, ap-hee-lee-uhn ]

/ əˈfi li ən, əˈfil yən, æpˈhi li ən /

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noun, plural a·phe·li·a

[uh-fee-lee-uh, uh-feel-yuh, ap-hee-lee-uh]. /əˈfi li ə, əˈfil yə, æpˈhi li ə/.

Astronomy. the point in the orbit of a planet or a comet at which it is farthest from the sun.

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Compare perihelion.

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

OTHER WORDS FROM aphelion

a·phe·li·an, adjective

Words nearby aphelion

aphanite, aphanitic, aphasia, aphasic, aphelandra, aphelion, apheliotropic, apheliotropism, aphemia, apheresis, aphesis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use aphelion in a sentence

At its perihelion it travels thousands of leagues per minute; at its aphelion it does not pass over more than a few yards.
Young Folks' Library, Volume XI (of 20)|Various
Suicide increases when the earth is in aphelion, and decreases when it is in perihelion.
The Criminal Prosecution and Capital Punishment of Animals|Edmund P. Evans
When at aphelion the planets move slower, and when at perihelion they move quicker than at the mean distance.
Astrology|Sepharial
When its centre is at the extremity most remote from the sun, or aphelion, it is the summer solstice for the northern hemisphere.
The World Before the Deluge|Louis Figuier

The solar tide varies between aphelion and perihelion from 1·9 to 2·1.
Pioneers of Science|Oliver Lodge

British Dictionary definitions for aphelion

aphelion

/ (æpˈhiːlɪən, əˈfiː-) /

noun plural -lia (-lɪə)

the point in its orbit when a planet or comet is at its greatest distance from the sunCompare perihelion

Derived forms of aphelion

aphelian, adjective

Word Origin for aphelion

C17: from New Latin aphēlium (with pseudo-Greek ending -ion) from ap- + Greek hēlios sun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for aphelion

aphelion

[ ə-fē′lē-ən ]

The point at which an orbiting body, such as a planet or comet, is farthest away from the Sun. Compare apogee perihelion.