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.
By understanding the Earth's orbit and its variations, we can better appreciate the complexities of our climate and the many factors that shape our planet.
: Earth is farthest from the Sun. It happens exclusively in early July .
provides precise scientific definitions and historical data for the Earth's apsides, including the exact distances and times for the current year. For a technical deep dive into orbital eccentricity, visit The U.S. Naval Observatory
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This orbital path was first mathematically mapped by the 17th-century astronomer Johannes Kepler. Kepler's First Law of Planetary Motion dictates that all planets move in ellipses, with the Sun positioned at one of the focal points. Because the Sun is offset from the dead center of this oval, the Earth draws nearer to it during one half of the year and swings further away during the other.
Perihelion is the point in the Earth's orbit where it is closest to the Sun. At this point, the distance between the Earth and the Sun is approximately 91.5 million miles (147 million kilometers). This occurs around early January each year.
The Seasons, the Equinox, and the Solstices - National Weather Service
While it doesn’t flip the seasons, being closer to the sun does have measurable effects:
Because the planet is moving faster through this leg of its journey, winter in the Northern Hemisphere (and summer in the Southern Hemisphere) is actually about five days shorter than the opposite seasons in July. 2. Solar Radiation Intensity