aphelion

American  

[uh-fee-lee-uhn, uh-feel-yuhn, ap-hee-lee-uhn] / əˈfi li ən, əˈfil yən, æpˈhi li ən /

noun

plural

aphelia

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

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aphelion British  

/ əˈfiː-, æpˈhiːlɪən /

noun

1. the point in its orbit when a planet or comet is at its greatest distance from the sun Compare perihelion

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aphelion Scientific  

/ ə-fē′lē-ən /

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

2. Compare apogee perihelion

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Other Word Forms

• aphelian adjective

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:

• aphelion vs. perihelion

Example Sentences

The exact distances of Earth’s perihelion and aphelion change a bit from year to year because of the gravitational influence of the other planets, as well as that of the moon.

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

The apogee of the sun is synonymous with the aphelion of the earth.

From The Sailor's Word-Book An Alphabetical Digest of Nautical Terms, including Some More Especially Military and Scientific, but Useful to Seamen; as well as Archaisms of Early Voyagers, etc. by Belcher, Edward, Sir