Earth expected to reach its slowest orbital motion of 2026 on July 6

On July 6, Earth will pass through aphelion — the farthest point in its orbit from the Sun — when its orbital speed will fall to the lowest level of the year, at 29.27–29.29 km/s, the press service of the Moscow Planetarium told TASS.

Earth’s orbit is elliptical, meaning the planet reaches its closest point to the Sun in January (perihelion) and its farthest point in July (aphelion). In 2026, the distance between Earth and the Sun will reach 152,093,251 km (1.0167 AU).

“The Earth’s orbital speed changes throughout the year due to the elliptical shape of its orbit. On the day of aphelion, the apparent diameter of the Sun will also be at its minimum,” the planetarium noted.

At perihelion — the closest point to the Sun — Earth’s orbital speed increases to 30.27–30.29 km/s.

By Jeyhun Aghazada