While the Sun might have seemed a little closer during this week’s record-setting temperatures, the opposite is actually true. As temps reached 103º on Friday, crushing the previous record by 5º, Earth was about 94.4 million miles from the Sun.

Earth’s Distance from the Sun

Over the next few weeks, Earth’s orbit will take it another 100,000 miles further from the Sun. A few hours after sunrise on July 6, 2026, Earth reaches aphelion, a point 94,502,962 miles from the Sun.

The difference between Earth’s closest and farthest distances from the Sun is about 5 million kilometers, or roughly 3.3 percent. While this slightly changes the amount of solar energy reaching Earth, it is not responsible for the seasons.

Instead, the seasons are caused by Earth’s 23.4-degree axial tilt. During June, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun. As a result, sunlight strikes North Carolina more directly and remains above the horizon for a much longer period each day.

Original reporting: WRAL Raleigh — read the source article.