apogee

astronomy

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June 18, 2026

Quick Summary

In astronomy, apogee refers to the point in an object's orbit around Earth that is farthest from the planet's center. It is one of the two points in an elliptical orbit that are closest to and farthest from the center of attraction, known as the line of apsides. The opposite point to apogee is perigee, which is the closest point in the orbit to Earth.12

The term "apogee" can also be used more generally to describe the highest or farthest point of anything, such as the culmination of a civilization. For celestial bodies orbiting the Sun, the farthest point is called aphelion, and for those orbiting other stars, it's apastron.132

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…if the Earth, perigee and apogee. Periastron and apastron refer to an orbit around a star, and perijove and apojove refer to an orbit around Jupiter.
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…if the Earth, perigee and apogee. Periastron and apastron refer to an orbit around a star, and perijove and apojove refer to an orbit around Jupiter.
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Moon
Principal characteristics of the Earth-Moon system
If the Moon is near apogee, it does not quite cover the Sun; the resulting eclipse is annular, and observers can see a thin ring of the solar disk around the Moon’s silhouette.
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If the Moon is near apogee, it does not quite cover the Sun; the resulting eclipse is annular, and observers can see a thin ring of the solar disk around the Moon’s silhouette.
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