Earth is at its farthest point from the sun on July 3. So why are temperatures so high across the U.S.?

Our planet whirls around the sun in an ellipse, rather than a circle. On Thursday the planet reached its farthest point from its star, known as aphelion.

Returning to the problem of the age of the earth, considered independently of the sun, we find William Thomson the great moving spirit. He approached the subject from more than one point of view.

Several states may have a chance to see the northern lights this week. We show where.

We are currently just over 94 million miles away from the sun (94,506,364 mi). The key is that the Earth is tilted, and the Northern Hemisphere is facing the sun.