The word "perihelion" comes from Greek roots: peri , meaning "near," and helios , meaning "Sun." It is the precise point in Earth’s slightly oval-shaped (elliptical) orbit where it is nearest to the Sun.
The Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, receiving less direct sunlight, resulting in winter.
During the month of January, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun. This tilt causes two distinct effects: during which month is the earth closest to the sun link
. It typically occurs in early January, about two weeks after the December solstice. Fast Facts about Perihelion 2026 Date: In 2026, Earth reached perihelion on at 17:16 UTC. At this point, the Earth is approximately 147.1 million kilometers (91.4 million miles) from the Sun. Earth travels at its maximum orbital speed—about 30.3 kilometers per second —when it is closest to the Sun. Sun's Appearance: Because we are closer, the Sun appears about 3.4% larger in the sky and is roughly 7% more intense
Perihelion occurs annually between January 2nd and January 5th. The word "perihelion" comes from Greek roots: peri
January: When Earth Makes Its Closest Approach to the Sun Contrary to what the freezing temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere might suggest, Earth is actually closest to the Sun during the month of . This annual astronomical event is known as perihelion . Understanding Perihelion
While the orbit is elliptical, it is very nearly a perfect circle. Astronomers measure how stretched an orbit is using a metric called eccentricity. A perfect circle has an eccentricity of 0. Earth’s orbital eccentricity is currently about 0.0167. This low number means the ellipse is highly circular, which is why the 3-million-mile difference in distance represents only about a 3% variance. Why Distance Does Not Cause the Seasons This tilt causes two distinct effects:
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