Is the Sun Closer in Summer or Winter - MR. GLINES GRADE 4 HUDSON, MA

MR. GLINES GRADE 4 HUDSON, MA

Earth is closest to the sun every year in early January, when it’s winter for the Northern Hemisphere. We’re farthest away from the sun in early July, during our Northern Hemisphere summer. Why is the sun closest to Earth in winter? Because the earth's axis is tilted. It is all about the tilt of the Earth's axis. Many people believe that the temperature changes because the Earth is closer to the sun in summer and farther from the sun in winter. In fact, the Earth is farthest from the sun in July and is closest to the sun in January! What is it called when the Earth is closest to the sun? Closest. For northerners, the winter solstice has just passed. But the truth is, on January 3, 2007, Earth reaches perihelion, its closest point to the Sun in its yearly orbit around our star. At first glance, it makes no sense.