Every year in early January, Earth reaches the closest point in its orbit to the Sun, a moment astronomers call perihelion.

Earth’s orbit around the Sun isn’t a perfect circle—it’s slightly elliptical. Each year, around July 2 or 3, Earth reaches its farthest point from the Sun, known as aphelion. Around January 2 or 3, ...

NORFOLK, Va. — The earth’s journey around the Sun is not a perfect circle. Instead, our planet follows a slightly oval-shaped path called an ellipse, meaning our distance from the Sun changes ...

James is a published author with multiple pop-history and science books to his name. He specializes in history, space, strange science, and anything out of the ordinary.View full profile James is a ...

At the start of the year, Earth will quietly reach a milestone in its orbit around the sun. Known as perihelion, this is the moment when our planet is closer to the sun than at any other point in the ...

Earth reaches its closest point to the sun in its 2026 orbit on Jan. 3. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works. The sun will appear ...

Each year, Earth reaches its closest point to the sun in early January, a moment called perihelion. In 2026, this occurred on ...

Earth is at its farthest point from the sun on July 3. So why are temperatures so high across the U.S.? When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it ...