how far is the Sun from Earth

How far is the Sun from Earth?

The average distance between our planet and the star that lights it is about 149.6 million kilometres (≈ 92.96 million miles) [this figure comes from encyclopedic sources] [britannica.com](https://www.britannica.com/topic/How-Far-Is-the-Sun-from-Earth)

Astronomers express this average as one astronomical unit (AU), the standard yardstick for measuring distances inside the Solar System [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun).

Key points

• Typical distance: 149.6 million km (92.96 million mi) on average [space.com](https://www.space.com/17081-how-far-is-earth-from-the-sun.html)
• Orbital variation:
  • Perihelion (closest) ≈ 147.1 million km
  • Aphelion (farthest) ≈ 152.1 million km
    The variation is modest, so the 149.6 million km figure is used as a convenient average [space.com](https://www.space.com/17081-how-far-is-earth-from-the-sun.html)
• Astronomical Unit (AU) – exactly 149,597,870,700 metres by International Astronomical Union definition [wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sun)
• Why it matters: The AU lets us compare planetary distances without unwieldy numbers and is vital for spacecraft navigation [theskylive.com](https://theskylive.com/how-far-is-sun)

Visual summary

commons.wikimedia.org

The Sun bathing Earth with light; the average Sun‑Earth distance is the radius of this orbit [commons.wikimedia.org](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Sun_by_SOHO.jpg)

commons.wikimedia.org

Earth’s orbit is slightly elliptical, giving the perihelion and aphelion distances [commons.wikimedia.org](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1f/Eccentricity_of_orbits.svg)

commons.wikimedia.org

Diagram showing 1 AU as the average Earth‑Sun separation [commons.wikimedia.org](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Earth_Sun_distance_illustration.png)

Frequently asked follow‑ups

• Does this distance cause the seasons? No. Seasons are driven by Earth’s axial tilt, not by the small change in Sun‑Earth distance.
• How was it measured historically? Early astronomers used the parallax method, observing the apparent shift of nearby objects against distant backgrounds from different viewpoints [britannica.com](https://www.britannica.com/topic/How-Far-Is-the-Sun-from-Earth). Modern measurements rely on radar and spacecraft tracking for extreme precision.

Bottom line: The Sun is, on average, 149.6 million km away from Earth—roughly one astronomical unit—a distance that underpins much of our Solar‑System science and exploration.