The average distance from Earth to the Sun is about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers), which is defined as 1 Astronomical Unit (AU)
. More precisely, the International Astronomical Union defines 1 AU as exactly 149,597,870.7 kilometers (about 92,955,807 miles)
. Because Earth's orbit is elliptical, this distance varies throughout the year:
- At its closest (perihelion), Earth is about 91.4 million miles (147.1 million km) from the Sun.
- At its farthest (aphelion), Earth is about 94.5 million miles (152.1 million km) away
Currently, the Earth-Sun distance can be slightly more than 1 AU, for example, around 151.35 million kilometers or about 1.0117 AU, depending on the date
. In summary, Earth is roughly 93 million miles (150 million km) from the Sun on average, with slight variations due to its elliptical orbit. This distance is the basis for the Astronomical Unit, a fundamental measure in astronomy.
