The reason for the seasons isn’t our from the Sun; it’s the tilt of the Earth’s axis. In January, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun. Even though we are physically closer to the solar surface, the sun’s rays hit the northern half of the planet at a shallow angle, spreading the heat thin and resulting in shorter, colder days.

Due to a phenomenon called (a slow wobble of Earth’s axis, like a spinning top slowing down), the timing of perihelion shifts very gradually over a 26,000-year cycle.

Bookmark this "closest to the sun link" and share it with a friend who insists that summer is when the Earth is nearest. They will be amazed by the truth.

Maya blinked. "Jupiter?"

Many people assume the Earth circles the Sun in a perfect ring. In reality, planetary orbits are oval-shaped, or elliptical. This planetary mechanic was first discovered by astronomer Johannes Kepler. Because the orbit is a slightly squashed circle, the distance between the Earth and the Sun changes continuously throughout our 365-day journey. The Orbital Extremes

Perihelion typically occurs in early January, around January 3-4. This is when the Earth is approximately 91.5 million miles (147 million kilometers) away from the Sun.

"Three million miles sounds like a lot," Maya interjected.

The word "perihelion" comes from the Greek words peri (near) and helios (sun). It refers to the specific point in a planet's orbit where it is physically closest to the star it revolves around.

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.

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While axial tilt is the main driver of the seasons, Earth's varying distance from the Sun does have a measurable effect on the amount of solar radiation, or insolation, our planet receives. This is dictated by the , which states that the intensity of radiation is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source.