Cryptic crossword clue
Time to avoid one hot planet, almost around orbital apex? 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word APHELION

I've seen this crossword clue in Independent
A
P
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Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "orbital apex?" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case orbital apex? = aphelion.
The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.
This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.

What does APHELION mean?

APHELION noun
  1. The point in the elliptical orbit of a planet, comet, etc., where it is farthest from the Sun.

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