When Is Earth Closest To The Sun – Original

Earth is closest to the Sun in early January, typically on January 3–5, about two weeks after the December solstice.

For 2026, perihelion occurs on January 4 at roughly 13:00 UTC.

At that moment, Earth is about 147.1 million km (91.4 million miles) from the Sun, compared to the average distance of ~149.6 million km (~93 million miles). when is earth closest to the sun

That’s a difference of roughly 3 million miles (4.8 million km). In cosmic terms, that’s not huge—but it is significant. At perihelion, Earth receives about 6% more solar radiation than it does at aphelion.

So if we’re getting more sunlight in January, why isn’t it summer in the Northern Hemisphere? Earth is closest to the Sun in early

Let’s clear up a few persistent myths.

You might wonder: if we are 3 million miles closer in January than in July, shouldn’t that make a difference?

It does, but the effect is subtle and often misunderstood.

Interestingly, the Southern Hemisphere experiences a more pronounced seasonal swing. Because perihelion occurs during its summer (December–February), the Southern Hemisphere gets both the advantage of the tilt and the extra 6–7% of solar radiation from being closer to the Sun. As a result, southern summers are somewhat warmer, and southern winters colder, than their northern counterparts.