Perihelion is the point at which an orbiting body is closest to the sun. The word comes from Greek and literally means around (peri) the sun (helios).
I have been working on Milankovitch Theory for about three years, trying to understand it. In doing so, I have gained some new insights into this theory. I have also discovered that there are some misconceptions about what it is. This brief note summarizes my work while clarif...
These points—called perihelion and aphelion—occur inJanuary and July, respectively. But if January is when Earth is closer to the Sun, why isn't the weather warmer at that time? ... This produces our winter weather, when the days are short and cold. Why the Earth is Hottest When It...
In aNASA statement, solar physicist Phil Scherrer of Stanford University describes what happens during the solar cycle. "The sun's polar magnetic fields weaken, go to zero and then emerge again with the opposite polarity. This is a regular part of the solar cycle." When the sun's magnetic ...
What Are Perigee and Apogee? When Are Perigee and Apogee? What Are Perihelion and Aphelion? When Do They Occur? Broad Definition: A supermoon isa new or full moon that occurs when the Moon is near perigee(the point in the Moon’s orbit where it is closest to Earth). By this definition...
Perihelion, or when the earth is closest to the sun remains elusive to most people. It is a basic fact, but not common knowledge. Not even a casual factoid on the nightly weather report. There is no holiday that commemorates that day. .
When is the summer solstice 2024? In 2024, the summer solstice will occur onThursday 20 June at 9.51pm BST (4:50 pm EDT New York, 1:50pm PDT Los Angeles).While many people mark the whole day's importance, the solstice actually occurs at an exact moment – so make sure you don’t...
Earth's orbit around the Sun is also elliptical, with the Sun closest atperihelion, and farthest away at aphelion. Earth's and the Moon's elliptical orbits mean that Earth’s distance from the Sun and theMoon's distance from Earthvaries throughout the year. It also means that from Earth...
Distance Does Not Cause Seasons Spring, summer, fall, and winter. ©iStockphoto.com/Smitt It is a common misconception that seasons occur because of Earth's elliptical orbit around the Sun, with winter occurring when Earth is farthest away from the Sun, and summer when it is closest to ...
Nice as it is, the Mars-Saturn-Antares lineup is only the warm-up for the big event: the closest conjunction of the two brightest planets this year. On Saturday evening, August 27, Venus and Jupiter will approach within a hair’s breadth of each other as viewed with the naked eye —...