Question

What is the ‘Aphelion’ position of earth?
A) Minimum distance from the sun.
B) Farthest distance from the sun.
C) Equal distance from the sun.
D) All of the above.

Answer 1

Hint: An ellipse with 0 eccentricity is a circle as well. Now that the orbit of the Earth is an ellipse, the Sun is not going to be precisely at the center of it. The orbits of all the planets in the solar system are ellipses with the Sun at one of the foci, according to Johannes Kepler. Because of this the planet is sometimes closer to the Sun than it is at other times.

Complete answer:
The Planet orbits the Sun, but not in a circle. The orbit of the Earth is an ellipse, a lopsided curve with one end closer than the other to the Sun.

Option A. Minimum distance from the sun: Perihelion is the position that is closest to the sun in the orbit of a planet, meteor, or comet. It is believed to be at perihelion when the Earth is nearest to the Sun. This happens each year about January 3rd, when the Planet is around 147,098,074 km away.

The Planet is nearest to the Sun about 2 weeks after the December Solstice at its Perihelion and The Earth's orbit shifts around the Sun. Perihelion is the point which is closest to the Sun in the Earth's orbit. Hence, this option is incorrect.

Option B. Farthest distance from the sun: The position farthest from the sun in the direction of the orbiting celestial body is Aphelion. Our earth is at a distant end on July 4, 2008-a point named aphelion by astronomers. This takes us further from the Sun than we are at any other time of year.

Farthest from the Sun at its Aphelion about 2 weeks after the June Solstice. The position of the Earth's orbit that is farthest from the Sun is the Aphelion. Hence, this is the correct option.

Option C. Equal distance from the sun: As it orbits, the planet's distance from the Sun also varies. Currently, from day to day, the World is never the same distance from the Sun. Earth’s distance varies from sun day to day, equal distance from the sun cannot occur. Hence this option is incorrect.

Option D. All of the above.We already know the correct answer, so this option is also incorrect.
Therefore, The position farthest from the sun in the direction of the orbiting celestial body is Aphelion.

Hence, option ‘B’ i.e, Farthest distance from the sun is the correct answer.

Note: In fact, the Planet is closest to the Sun, or at its perihelion, around the winter solstice of the Northern Hemisphere, while it is farthest from the Sun, or at its perihelion, around the summer solstice of the Northern Hemisphere.