Oman skies to witness solar Aphelion tomorrow

MUSCAT: The Earth will reach its aphelion — the farthest point from the Sun in its annual orbit — tomorrow at 9:30 pm Oman time, when the distance between the two centres will be approximately 152.1 million kilometres, equivalent to about 1.0167 astronomical units.
Wisal al Hinai, Head of the Community Communication Committee at the Oman Society of Astronomy and Space, said the solar aphelion is an annual astronomical event occurring in early July. It results from the Earth's elliptical orbit around the Sun, with a slight eccentricity of about 0.0167, in line with Kepler's laws of planetary motion. She noted that the Earth reaches its perihelion — the closest point to the Sun — in early January, when the distance between them is about 147 million kilometres, a difference of only about five million kilometres.
She stressed that a common misconception is the belief that seasonal temperature changes are linked to the Earth's distance from the Sun. The true cause, she explained, is the 23.5‑degree tilt of the Earth's rotational axis relative to its orbital plane — the flat geometric plane containing its orbit around the Sun.
The axial tilt causes variations in the angle of solar radiation and daylight hours throughout the year. In summer, the Sun's rays strike more directly and remain above the horizon longer, increasing solar energy and raising temperatures. The opposite occurs in winter.
The effect of the varying distance between the Earth and the Sun is only about 3 per cent compared to the average distance of 149.6 million kilometres, making its impact minimal compared to the axial tilt, which is the primary driver of seasonal change, she added.
The solar aphelion offers an opportunity to promote accurate astronomical understanding and correct common misconceptions, she said, adding that scientific literacy helps deepen public awareness of cosmic phenomena through observation and scientific calculation. — ONA