"Exactly," Elias said. "And conversely, in July, when we are sweating and complaining about the heat, Earth is actually at its farthest point from the Sun—."
While it might feel counterintuitive as you scrape ice off your windshield, is the month we cozy up to the Sun. It’s a great reminder that in astronomy, the "big picture" is often different than what we feel on the ground.
The reason the Earth is closest to the Sun in January may seem counterintuitive, especially for those who live in the Northern Hemisphere and experience cold winter weather during this time. However, the Earth's orbit is not directly related to the seasons. The seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth's axis, which is approximately 23.5 degrees. This tilt causes the amount of sunlight that reaches the Earth's surface to vary throughout the year, resulting in changes in temperature and weather patterns. during which month is the earth closest to the sun link
The (students, general public, astronomy enthusiasts) The desired word count
This table is important because it shows that the exact time and even the distance at perihelion vary from year to year. On average, Earth is about from the Sun at its closest approach. "Exactly," Elias said
Astronomers utilize specific Greek-derived terminology to chart these distinct milestones in our annual journey: Happy Perihelion 2026 — Earth's Closest Solar Encounter!
"In space terms, it’s a pebble's throw," Elias laughed. "But here is the key: Earth’s axis is tilted at 23.5 degrees. Because of that tilt, right now, the Northern Hemisphere is leaning away from the Sun. Even though the Sun is physically closer to Earth, its rays are hitting us at a low, glancing angle. They are spread out over a wider area, and they have to pass through more atmosphere to get to us." The reason the Earth is closest to the
This specific orbital milestone is known as . At this point, the Earth sits roughly 147 million kilometers (91.4 million miles) away from our parent star. This distance is about 5 million kilometers closer than it is during its farthest approach in July.
If you’d like, I can:
Because Earth moves slightly faster in its orbit when it is closer to the sun, winter in the Northern Hemisphere is slightly shorter than summer.