Sun Closest To Earth | Chrome |

During Perihelion, Earth is traveling at its maximum orbital speed—moving at roughly . This is about 1,000 mph faster than its speed at Aphelion.

Perihelion is not a fixed date on our calendar. Due to a slow, cyclical wobble in Earth’s axis (called apsidal precession), the date of perihelion drifts forward by about one day every 58 years. Over thousands of years, this drift—combined with changes in the shape of the orbit (eccentricity) and the tilt itself (obliquity)—creates the Milankovitch cycles, which are linked to the onset and retreat of ice ages. About 10,000 years ago, perihelion occurred during the Northern Hemisphere’s summer, creating much hotter summers and colder winters—a key factor in the end of the last glacial period. sun closest to earth

One day, Sol noticed a small, rocky ball spinning nearby. It was cold, silent, and covered in gray dust. Sol decided to lean in just a little closer. He wrapped the little planet in a golden glow, pulsing with steady, rhythmic heat. During Perihelion, Earth is traveling at its maximum

Today, we happen to live in a time when perihelion aligns with the northern winter and aphelion with the northern summer, a configuration that helps moderate our climate. Due to a slow, cyclical wobble in Earth’s