During Which Month Is The Earth Closest To The — Sun Link
Maya peered through the lens. The Sun was a steady, calm disc. "It looks... normal," she said.
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. during which month is the earth closest to the sun link
. 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 Maya peered through the lens
Our planet rotates on an axis tilted by relative to its orbital plane. This tilt, not the varying distance, is the primary driver of our seasons. As Earth orbits the Sun, the Northern and Southern Hemispheres alternately tilt toward or away from the Sun. normal," she said
The Northern Hemisphere receives fewer hours of daylight, leaving less time for the ground to heat up.
At this point, we are about 147 million kilometers (91 million miles) away from the Sun.
This astronomical event is known as . Here is a deep dive into why this happens, why it doesn’t make the weather hot, and how our orbit affects life on Earth. What is Perihelion?
