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How far is the Sun from Earth right now?
The Sun is 149,729,523 km from Earth right now, getting closer at 1,744 km/h.
The Sun from Earth, right now
Centre to centre. Worked out in your browser from JPL's orbital elements, the same maths that moves the planets in the 3D viewer, and updated ten times a second.
Where Earth is today
Why the distance keeps changing
Earth's orbit is a slightly stretched circle, so our distance from the Sun drifts by about 5 million km over the year. We are closest at perihelion in early January and farthest at aphelion in early July.
Seasons come from the tilt of Earth's axis. The change in distance is small, about 3%, and it happens to make northern winters a little milder.
The Sun ranges from about 147.1 million km to about 152.1 million km from Earth.
Questions
How far is the Sun from Earth right now?
On 2 October 2026, the Sun was 149.7 million km from Earth (93,037,612 miles, 1.0009 AU), and getting closer at 1,744 km/h. The figure at the top of this page is worked out live in your browser, so it is current whenever you read it.
When is the Sun next closest to Earth?
Earth is next closest to the Sun on 3 January 2027, at about 147.1 million km. This is perihelion, and it comes once a year, in early January.
How long does light take to travel from the Sun to Earth?
Right now light from the Sun takes 8 min 19.4 s to reach us, so we see the Sun as it was that long ago. Radio signals to a spacecraft there take the same time.
What is the closest and farthest the Sun gets from Earth?
The Sun can come as close as about 147.1 million km and be as far as about 152.1 million km, worked out from the sizes and shapes of the two orbits.