Perihelion Day - Today the Earth is at its closest point to the Sun

MONROE, La. (KNOE) - Happy Perihelion Day! Today the Earth is at its closest point to the sun in its orbit.

The Earth’s orbit isn’t a perfect circle, it’s elliptical! And today the Earth is approximately 91,406,842 miles away from the sun. While this may seem weird considering it is January and the coldest time of the year, remember that the seasons are a result of the Earth’s 23.5 degrees tilt of the Earth on its axis. The Perihelion always happens in early January, about two weeks after the winter solstice.

Come July, we will see the Aphelion, or when the Earth is at its farthest point from the sun.