Every schoolchild learns that Earth orbits the sun. But a surprisingly common misconception is that our planet’s changing seasons—sweltering summers and freezing winters—are caused by Earth moving closer to or farther from the sun.
than the farthest point, called aphelion, which occurs in early July. At perihelion, the Sun appears roughly 3.4% larger when is earth closest to the sun
Consequently, every planet has two key points in its orbit: The Earth's orbit is influenced by the gravitational
The Earth's orbit is influenced by the gravitational pull of the other planets in our solar system, particularly Jupiter and Venus. These gravitational forces cause the Earth's orbit to vary slightly over time, a phenomenon known as orbital precession. As a result, the timing of perihelion shifts by about 1 day every 72 years. Gravitational perturbations from Jupiter and Saturn
At this moment, Earth is approximately 91.4 million miles (147 million kilometers) away from the Sun. Contrast this with aphelion—the point where Earth is farthest from the Sun—which occurs in early July at a distance of about 94.5 million miles (152 million kilometers). Why Doesn’t the Distance Stay the Same?
The moment when the Earth is closest to the Sun is called perihelion. Perihelion occurs when the Earth is at its closest point to the Sun in its elliptical orbit, which happens around early January each year. Specifically, perihelion typically falls on or around January 3rd or 4th. At this time, the Earth is approximately 91.5 million miles (147 million kilometers) away from the Sun.