Recently, Earth has reached aphelion.

Source: The Indian Express 

Prelims Take away: What is Aphelion 

About Aphelion: 

1. It is the point of the Earth’s orbit that is farthest away from the Sun. 
2. It always happens in early July, about two weeks after the June solstice. 

Why does it occur? 

1. Earth has an aphelion as a result of its orbit being elliptical, rather than circular. 
2. At aphelion, Earth’s distance from the Sun is about 152.1 million km. 

3. Six months later, in early January, Earth reaches perihelion — the point at which it is closest to the Sun. At perihelion, the distance between Earth and the Sun is roughly 147.1 million km.

   Does aphelion affect temperatures on Earth? 

   We get 7% less sunlight at aphelion compared to what we are exposed to at perihelion, leading to slightly milder summers and winters in the Northern Hemisphere. 

   But this effect is offset by Earth’s tilt on its axis — at different points along its orbit the hemispheres slant either toward or away from the Sun.