Tonight, the Earth is closer to the sun than at any other time of the year

By Danielle Dozier

Wednesday night marks the perihelion, where the Earth is closest to the sun. Close, of course, being relative: we'll be 91.4 million miles away.

Earth is farthest from the sun in July, when it is 94.5 million miles away. The Earth is closest to the sun in the winter in the Northern Hemisphere and farther away in the summer.

You may be wondering why the Earth isn’t closest to the sun in the summer. The answer? Because Earth’s orbit is elliptical.

Seasons are actually tied to the tilt of the Earth’s axis at 23.5 degrees. The planet is tilted toward the sun during the summer months in the Northern Hemisphere, and away from the sun during the winter months.

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