The changing distance between the Sun and the Earth throughout the year is indeed a result of the Earth's elliptical orbit around the Sun. The Earth's orbit is not a perfect circle but rather an ellipse, with the Sun located at one of the two foci of the ellipse.
As the Earth moves along its elliptical orbit, there are two key points to consider:
- Perihelion: This is the point in the Earth's orbit where it is closest to the Sun. It occurs around early January, typically on or around January 3rd.
- Aphelion: This is the point in the Earth's orbit where it is farthest from the Sun. It occurs around early July, usually on or around July 4th.
During perihelion, when the Earth is closest to the Sun, the distance between the two is at its minimum. Conversely, during aphelion, when the Earth is farthest from the Sun, the distance between them is at its maximum. This elliptical shape of the Earth's orbit causes the variation in distance throughout the year.
As a consequence of this changing distance, the apparent size of the Sun as observed from Earth appears to vary slightly. When the Earth is closer to the Sun, the Sun appears slightly larger, and when the Earth is farther from the Sun, the Sun appears slightly smaller. However, it's important to note that this change in apparent size is quite small and not easily noticeable without precise measurements or scientific instruments.
The observed variation in the Sun's apparent size throughout the year, along with the changing distance between the Earth and the Sun, provides evidence supporting the elliptical shape of Earth's orbit.