What Season Is Earth Closest To The Sun May 2026

“Exactly,” Mom said. “The tilt is the real star of the show. In fact, Earth’s orbit is almost a circle. The difference in distance is only about 3 million miles — tiny compared to 93 million miles total. That small change can’t beat the tilt’s effect.”

Leo’s eyes widened. “Wait — so we’re closer to the sun in winter? That doesn’t make sense. Shouldn’t it be hot?”

“Let me show you something,” Mom said. She grabbed a flashlight and an orange. “The sun is the flashlight, and Earth is the orange.” She tilted the orange slightly on an imaginary axis. what season is earth closest to the sun

His mom smiled. “That’s a great question, Leo. But actually, Earth is closest to the sun in January — just a few weeks from now.”

Leo looked up at the cold, clear December sky. “So even when we’re closest to the sun, it’s winter here because of the tilt.” “Exactly,” Mom said

“The universe is full of weird and wonderful surprises,” Mom said, smiling. Earth is closest to the sun in early January (perihelion), but seasons are caused by Earth’s axial tilt, not its distance from the sun. So even at our closest point, the Northern Hemisphere experiences winter because it’s tilted away from the sun’s direct rays.

Leo thought for a moment. “So distance to the sun isn’t what makes seasons?” The difference in distance is only about 3

“Earth is tilted,” she explained. “In December and January, the Northern Hemisphere — where we live — is tilted away from the sun. So even though we’re a bit closer to the sun overall, the sunlight hits us at a low angle, spreading out and giving us less heat. That’s winter.”