The Aphelion.
It is - but the northern hemisphere is also tilted awayfrom the sun at that point, giving us wintertime.
It is Summer in the Northern hemisphere in July-September and in the Southern hemisphere in January-March. In the first period, the earth is at its aphelion - around 94.5 million miles, whereas during the second period it is at its perihelion - approx 91.4 million miles. Take your pick as to what summer is!
Aphelion -- the point on its orbit when the Earth is farthest from the sun Perihelion -- the point on its orbit when the Earth is closest to the sun so== == == ==
The aphelion (farthest distance) from the Earth to the Sun is 152,098,232 km, and this occurs around July 3 each year. This is during summer in the Northern Hemisphere. The perihelion (closest distance) is 147,098,290 km, and this comes around January 4. This is during winter in the Northern Hemisphere and summer in the Southern Hemisphere. The variation in distance is only about 3%, and other factors mitigate the increased solar energy received.
Winter. The Earth reaches its perihelion (the point in its orbit when it is closest to the sun) during the month of January (around January 3rd currently), which falls during the season of winter in the northern hemisphere.
The closest the earth gets to the sun is 146 million km (91 million miles) at perihelion, during winter in the Northern Hemisphere, which is summer in the Southern Hemisphere.We are farthest away at aphelion, during Northern Hemisphere summer, maximum distance is 152 million km (94.5 million miles).The average distance between the sun and the earth is 149 million kilometers (93 million miles).
Earth's orbit is not perfectly circular. Even with the slightest eccentricity there will be times when an orbiting body is closer to the sun and times when it is farther away. The earth passes its perihelion during the first half of January and its aphelion during the first half of July.
The distance between Earth and the Sun during aphelion and perihelion affects the temperature on our planet because when Earth is at aphelion (farthest from the Sun), it receives less solar energy, leading to slightly cooler temperatures. Conversely, when Earth is at perihelion (closest to the Sun), it receives more solar energy, resulting in slightly warmer temperatures.
Perihelion, the point in Earth's orbit when it is closest to the Sun, occurs around January 3 each year. This event affects both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres simultaneously, as it is determined by Earth's orbital mechanics rather than seasonal changes. While perihelion occurs during winter in the Northern Hemisphere, it is important to note that this proximity to the Sun does not significantly impact seasonal temperatures.
Earth's orbital velocity is greatest during the Northern Hemisphere's winter, specifically around early January, when Earth is closest to the Sun in a position called perihelion. This increased speed occurs due to the gravitational pull of the Sun being stronger when the distance is shorter. Conversely, during the summer in the Northern Hemisphere, around early July, Earth is farthest from the Sun (aphelion) and moves more slowly in its orbit.
Because the Earth's axis tilts 23.5 degrees and during the time we call "summer" this tilt in the northern hemisphere is towards the Sun. The Earth is in fact further away from the Sun during the northern hemisphere's summer (aphelion is around July 5 this year) but the more perpendicular rays from our star heat the atmosphere and land better then. (Closest approach - perihelion - is during the first week of January).
Aphelion is a word used to describe the furthest that a planet gets from the sun during it's orbit, while perihelion is used to describe the closest that it gets.