perihelisen

Perihelion is the point in the orbit of a planet, asteroid, or comet at which it is closest to the Sun. The opposite point, when the object is farthest from the Sun, is called aphelion. The Earth reaches its perihelion in early January, around January 3rd. This means that the Earth is actually closer to the Sun during the Northern Hemisphere's winter. This might seem counterintuitive, as one might expect the closest approach to the Sun to coincide with summer. However, Earth's seasons are primarily caused by the tilt of its rotational axis, not its distance from the Sun. The axial tilt causes different parts of the Earth to receive more direct sunlight at different times of the year. The change in distance between the Earth and the Sun throughout its orbit is relatively small compared to the effect of the axial tilt. The concept of perihelion and aphelion applies to any celestial body orbiting another in an elliptical path. The specific date of perihelion can vary slightly from year to year due to gravitational influences from other planets.