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While the exact date shifts slightly due to the calendar's leap year cycle, perihelion typically occurs about two weeks after the December solstice. For the upcoming years, the closest approaches are: January 3 at 12:15 p.m. EST January 2 at 9:38 p.m. EST January 5 at 7:26 a.m. EST Time and Date Proximity and Distance
If that were true, you might logically assume that Earth is closest to the sun during the hot, summer months. But the reality is far more fascinating—and counterintuitive.
Perihelion is the point in the Earth's orbit when it is closest to the Sun. At this point, the Earth is approximately 91.5 million miles (147 million kilometers) away from the Sun. This occurs when the Earth is on the opposite side of its orbit from the Sun, which happens around early January.
While the exact date shifts slightly due to the calendar's leap year cycle, perihelion typically occurs about two weeks after the December solstice. For the upcoming years, the closest approaches are: January 3 at 12:15 p.m. EST January 2 at 9:38 p.m. EST January 5 at 7:26 a.m. EST Time and Date Proximity and Distance
If that were true, you might logically assume that Earth is closest to the sun during the hot, summer months. But the reality is far more fascinating—and counterintuitive.
Perihelion is the point in the Earth's orbit when it is closest to the Sun. At this point, the Earth is approximately 91.5 million miles (147 million kilometers) away from the Sun. This occurs when the Earth is on the opposite side of its orbit from the Sun, which happens around early January.
