aphelion

aphelion Definition

apheli·on (ə fē′lē ən, -fēl′yən)

noun pl. -·li·ons or -·lia-ə

the point farthest from the sun in the orbit of a planet or comet, or of a man-made satellite in orbit around the sun

Etymology: ModL, altered (as if Gr) by Johannes Kepler < earlier aphelium < Gr apo-, from + hēlios, sun; modeled on L apogaeum, apogee

aphelion Usage Examples

Converse of object

pass: Earth and the other planets are warming from the inside after Vulcan passed aphelion.

Modifies a noun

distance: The comets and Vulcan, in our studies, have roughly the same aphelion distance from the Sun.

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