Earth at Perihelion 2023: Here's everything you need to know about this phenomenon

Earth will reach its closest point to the sun on January 4, 2023. This phenomenon is known as perihelion when the earth and sun are at their closest point in the orbit. The word comes from the Greek language, "peri" meaning “around or near,” and "helios" meaning “sun.”

The day happens to be a much-awaited moment for earth observation and scientific research to witness the significant celestial happening. Did you just wonder what the farthest point is referred to as? It's called Aphelion.

As we know, our planet's orbit is elliptical, it moves closer to and then farther away from the sun over the course of a year.

Earth at Perihelion is observed two weeks after the December Solstice. During this day, its orbit brings it about 3 million miles closer to the sun than at any other time of year. The average distance from the sun to the Earth is 93 million miles, but during perihelion, the Earth is only 91 million miles away from the sun. 

This extra proximity means that the Earth receives more sunlight than usual. As a result of this, during our winter months (December to February in the Northern Hemisphere), when Earth is closer to the sun, we experience slightly warmer temperatures. So next time you’re feeling a little warm in January, there's nothing surprising as it’s not your imagination but the earth’s orbit.