aphelion
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aphelion
- /əˈfiː.lɪ.ən/ UK
- /æpˈhiː.lɪ.ən/ UK
- /əˈfi.li.ən/ US
- /əˈfil.jən/ US
- /æpˈhi.li.ən/ US
- /æpˈhil.jən/ US
Sounds like Ophelian (one pronunciation) · Rhymes with -iːliən
Where it comes from
From New Latin aphēlium (whence English aphelium, now displaced) + -ion (used in the names of other apsides). Aphelium was formed from Ancient Greek ἀπο- (apo-, prefix meaning ‘away, from, off’) + ἥλῐος (hḗlĭos, “the sun”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *sóh₂wl̥ (“the sun”)), modelled after New Latin apogaeum (“apogee”).
The plural form aphelia is from aphelion + -a (plural form of the suffix -on).
noun aphelia · aphelions
-
The point in the elliptical orbit of a comet, planet, or other astronomical object, where it is farthest from the Sun.
[I]t follows from the theory of gravity, that the aphelia of Mercury, Venus, the Earth, and Mars, slightly progress.
Opposite: perihelion
Translations
Every language
Talk about this word "aphelion." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/aphelion. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. aphelion. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/aphelion "aphelion." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/aphelion.Cite this
@misc{aphelion_2026,
title = {aphelion},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/aphelion},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
