During Which Month Is The Earth Closest To The Sun Link [better]
Perihelion, the point in the Earth's orbit where it is closest to the Sun, occurs around early January. Specifically, perihelion typically falls on the third or fourth Wednesday of January, with the exact date varying slightly from year to year. In 2023, for example, perihelion occurred on January 4th.
| Year | Perihelion Date & Time (UTC) | Distance at Perihelion (km) | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | January 3, 17:15 | 147,099,894 km | | 2027 | January 3, 10:38 | 147,104,593 km | | 2028 | January 5, 20:26 | 147,100,687 km | | 2029 | January 3, 02:13 | 147,098,350 km | | 2030 | January 3, 18:11 | 147,105,838 km |
The difference between the two distances is about 5 million kilometers (roughly 3.1 million miles), meaning the Earth at aphelion is about 3.4% farther from the Sun than at perihelion.
"Look at the size," Elias prompted. "Compare it to a photo taken in July. Right now, the Sun is about 3% larger in our sky than it is in the middle of summer." during which month is the earth closest to the sun link
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. 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
For Earth, perihelion occurs annually in early January. During this time, the Earth is approximately 147 million kilometers (about 91.4 million miles) away from the sun. Conversely, the Earth reaches its farthest point from the sun, known as aphelion, in early July, stretching the distance to about 152 million kilometers (about 94.5 million miles). This creates a variance of roughly 5 million kilometers (3 million miles) over the course of a year. Kepler’s First Law and Elliptical Orbits Perihelion, the point in the Earth's orbit where
The Earth does not orbit the Sun in a perfect circle. Instead, our planetary path is an ellipse—a slightly oval shape. This orbital trait was first discovered by the astronomer Johannes Kepler in the early 17th century.
The increased proximity to the Sun during perihelion has a relatively minor effect on the Earth's climate. In fact, the difference in solar energy received by the Earth at perihelion versus aphelion (the farthest point from the Sun) is only about 6.9%. This variation is not enough to cause significant changes in the Earth's climate.
Seasons result from Earth’s axial tilt (about 23.5°), not its distance from the Sun. The tilt changes which hemisphere receives more direct sunlight: | Year | Perihelion Date & Time (UTC)
Distance from the sun is not what causes our seasons. The seasons are caused by the 23.5-degree tilt of the Earth on its axis.
Elias poured two cups of coffee from a thermos and sat on a crate.