Earth at Aphelion 2024 is on Wednesday, July 3, 2024: What is the effect of aphelion on earth?

Wednesday, July 3, 2024 is Earth at Aphelion 2024. January Earth Perihelion Earth Perihelion

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At aphelion, Earth receives 6.9% less of the solar radiation than at perihelion. Aphelion happens around July 4, so this means slightly cooler summers for the Northern Hemisphere and slightly cooler winter for the Southern Hemisphere..

perihelion and aphelion energy differences?

the earth's perihelion and aphelion distances differ by 3 %; since solar radiation varies as 1/r^2, we can write

I(aphelion)/I(perihelion) = [r(ap)/r(peri)]^2=1.03^2=1.06

since r(ap)=1.03 r(peri)

this is a 6% difference in incident radiation throughout the year

for Mars, the distances vary by closer to 9%, so the ratio of energies is 1.09^2=1.19 or a 19% difference

What changes do we see on Earth between perihelion and aphelion?

During the present time, not any measurable difference. During perihelion the Earth currently receives only 6% more solar radiation from the Sun.

Perihelion currently occurs around January.

One can research Milankovitch cycles to determine that when the orbit of Earth becomes more elliptical, effects can be drastic. In an eccentric orbital path, when the North Pole of Earth points away from the Sun during aphelion, ice ages can be triggered.

The effects are caused because most of the land mass on planet Earth lies in the Northern Hemisphere.