Aphelion

Aphelion is the point in Earth's orbit where it is farthest from the Sun, occurring in July at a distance of about 152.1 million km. This is due to Earth's elliptical orbit, influenced significantly by Jupiter. Orbital eccentricity measures how much an orbit deviates from a perfect circle, with Earth's being relatively low at 0.017. Common misconceptions attribute seasonal changes to Earth's distance from the Sun, but they are primarily caused by the tilt of Earth's axis. If Earth's orbit were more circular, seasons would be more evenly distributed with minimal climate impact. However, a significant increase in eccentricity could lead to extreme weather, affecting agriculture and potentially making modern civilization unsustainable.