At perihelion, Earth is approximately from the Sun. To put that in perspective, the farthest point in our orbit—called aphelion , which occurs in early July—is about 94.5 million miles (152.1 million kilometers) away.
Conversely, in July—when we’re farthest from the Sun—the Northern Hemisphere is tilted toward the Sun. The sunlight arrives more directly (higher angle), creating the intense, concentrated heat we call summer. when is earth closest to the sun
The next time someone shivers through a January day and jokes, “Well, at least we’re closer to the sun,” you can smile and set them straight. At perihelion, Earth is approximately from the Sun
In 2024, for example, Earth reached perihelion on January 2nd. At that moment, we were about from the sun. Compare that to aphelion in July, when we drift out to about 94.5 million miles (152.1 million km) away. The sunlight arrives more directly (higher angle), creating
It does, but the effect is subtle and often misunderstood.