Perihelion and Aphelion Sun Comparison
January 04, 2006
Provided by: Anthony Ayiomamitis
Summary authors & editors: Anthony Ayiomamitis
The photo pair above illustrates that our Sun, like the Moon, also "grows" and "shrinks" as we observe it from Earth. Contrary to wide belief, the Sun is closest to us in early January (January 4, 2006) during winter in the Northern Hemisphere, and it's furthest away in early July.
By strategically imaging the Sun during 2005 at the extremes of our planet's elliptical orbit, I have managed to capture the approximately 3.4% difference in the apparent diameter of our closest star. This photo complements very nicely an earlier EPOD (January 25, 2005) depicting the 14% change in the apparent diameter of the full Moon during apogee and perigee.
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