The point of the earth's orbit that is nearest to the sun Although the position is part of a 21,000 year cycle, currently it occurs around January, when the earth is about 3 million miles closer to the sun than at aphelion This term can be applied to any other celestial body in orbit around the sun It is the opposite of aphelion
The point in the orbit of a planet or comet which is nearest the Sun (as opposed to the aphelion, which is the point in the orbit farthest from the Sun)
The term "perihelion" essentially means "nearest to the Sun " Since planetary orbits are ellipses rather than perfect circles, at points in a given orbit the planet is closer to the Sun than at others When it is at perihelion, it is at the closest point to the Sun that it gets See aphelion
The point on an orbit of a body revolving around the Sun where it is closest to the center of the Sun The perihelion of the orbit of the Earth occurs in January Why is it so cold in Cleveland in January if the Earth is closest to the Sun then?