Simultaneously, the Southern Hemisphere is tilted the sun, experiencing the peak of summer. The Subtle Effects of Being Close
| Effect | Description | |--------|-------------| | | Earth receives about 6.9% more solar energy at perihelion than at aphelion. | | Orbital speed | Earth moves faster in its orbit at perihelion (Kepler’s Second Law: planets move faster when closer to the Sun). | | Seasonal length | Winter in the Northern Hemisphere is the shortest season (~89 days) because Earth moves quickly through that part of its orbit. Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is the longest (~93.5 days). | | Temperature | Despite being closer to the Sun, January is cold in the Northern Hemisphere because sunlight strikes at a low angle and days are short. The Southern Hemisphere, experiencing summer, receives more direct sunlight. | earth closest point sun month
While the exact date and time shift slightly every year due to the nuances of the calendar and the gravitational pull of the moon, perihelion almost always occurs . If We Are Closer, Why is it Cold? Simultaneously, the Southern Hemisphere is tilted the sun,
