The answer lies in the , not its distance from the sun.
Because the Gregorian calendar doesn't perfectly match Earth's orbit, the exact date and time shift slightly each year: when is the earth nearest to the sun
So why is January cold in the Northern Hemisphere? 👉 It’s all about the , not our distance from the Sun. During perihelion, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun — meaning shorter days and less direct sunlight. The answer lies in the , not its distance from the sun
Because Earth’s orbit is not a perfect circle, the distance varies by about 3% over the year. However, this variation is small compared to the power of the axial tilt. In fact, because land heats up and cools down faster than water, the Earth is actually slightly warmer when it is farther from the sun in July (aphelion), simply because there is more landmass in the Northern Hemisphere at that time. During perihelion, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away
Surprisingly, the change in distance does not significantly affect global temperatures.
While it might seem like being closer to the sun should make the Earth hotter, it is actually winter in the Northern Hemisphere during perihelion. Seasons are caused by the tilt of the Earth's axis (approx. 23.5 degrees), not its distance from the sun. Future Perihelion Dates