What is perihelion?

The Earth zooms around the Sun in a oval-shaped path, and perihelion is when it’s closest to the Sun.

Imagine you're on a swing, when you’re nearest to the person pushing you, that’s like perihelion. The Earth moves fastest then, almost like you speed up as you go closer to the center of the swing.

The Earth doesn’t stay the same distance from the Sun all year round. Sometimes it's cozy and close, that’s perihelion, usually happening in January. Other times, it's farther away, that’s called aphelion. But don’t worry, we don’t get too hot or too cold just because of this, it’s more about how the Earth tilts as it goes around.

Think of perihelion like a hug from the Sun, warm and close. It's not super different from other times of the year, but it's a cool fact that shows how our planet moves in space, just like you move on your swing!