JEDDAH-Earth will reach aphelion—the farthest point from the Sun in its yearly orbit—on Monday at 8:30 p.m. Makkah time, according to the Jeddah Astronomical Society.

At aphelion, Earth will be about 152 million kilometers away from the Sun. Despite this greater distance, the event does not cause cooler weather. Scientists explain that the changing seasons are determined by Earth’s 23.4-degree axial tilt, not by how close or far the planet is from the Sun.

Majed Abu Zahra, President of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, said the Northern Hemisphere experiences summer because it is tilted toward the Sun, allowing sunlight to strike at a steeper angle and produce warmer temperatures.

He also noted that Earth travels slightly slower in its orbit while at aphelion, making summer in the Northern Hemisphere a little longer than winter.

Earth follows an elliptical orbit, causing its distance from the Sun to vary by around 5 million kilometers throughout the year. Because of this, the Sun appears slightly smaller during aphelion than it does at perihelion, although the difference cannot be seen with the naked eye.

According to Abu Zahra, these natural orbital changes help scientists better understand seasonal cycles, climate patterns, and Earth’s long-term astronomical behavior.