Astronomy Practice Exam

Disable ads (and more) with a membership for a one time $2.99 payment

Study for the Astronomy Exam with multiple choice questions, complete with explanations and insights for each question. Prepare effectively and enhance your understanding of celestial phenomena.

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.

At which point in its orbit is Earth farthest from the Sun?

Perihelion
Aphelion
Equinox
Solstice

The correct answer is: Aphelion

The point in Earth's orbit where it is farthest from the Sun is known as aphelion. This occurs when Earth is at a greater distance from the Sun due to its elliptical orbit. The term aphelion comes from the Greek words "apo" meaning away and "helios" meaning sun, effectively describing the position that is furthest from our star. During aphelion, which typically occurs around early July each year, Earth is approximately 152 million kilometers (about 94.5 million miles) away from the Sun. Conversely, perihelion is when Earth is closest to the Sun, which occurs around early January. The concepts of equinox and solstice relate to positions of the Earth with respect to its axial tilt and the Sun's position in relation to the celestial equator, but they do not describe distances in the orbit.