Sunset over Earth oceans as seen from the International Space Station.
When Earth is Closest and Farthest from the Sun in 2025
Earth reaches perihelion on January 4, 2025, and aphelion on July 3, 2025. Find out what these celestial terms mean and why they matter!
What Are Aphelion and Perihelion?
The terms perihelion and aphelion describe different points in our planet鈥檚 orbit of the Sun. This can also apply to other planets, comets, or bodies.
- Aphelion is the point of the Earth鈥檚 orbit that is farthest away from the Sun. It always happens in early July, about two weeks after the June solstice,
- Perihelion is the point of the Earth鈥檚 orbit that is nearest to the Sun. This always happens in early January, about two weeks after the December Solstice.
The words come from Ancient Greek, in which helios means 鈥淪un,鈥 apo means 鈥渇ar,鈥 and peri 尘别补苍蝉&苍产蝉辫;鈥渃濒辞蝉别.鈥
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(Did You Know: The point in the Moon鈥檚 orbit that is closest to the Earth is called the 鈥減erigee,鈥 and the point farthest from the Earth is known as the 鈥渁pogee.鈥 Learn about perigee and apogee.)
Aphelion and Perihelion Dates for 2025 and 2026
- 2025 Perihelion: January 4, 2025 8:28 A.M.
- 2025 Aphelion: July 3, 2025 3:54 P.M.
- 2026 Perihelion: January 3, 2026 12:15 pm
- 2026 Aphelion: July 6, 2026 1:30 pm
In 2025, Earth will be 91,405,993 miles away from the Sun at perihelion and 94,502,939 miles away from the Sun at aphelion. So, Earth is about 4,800,000 km (3,000,000 miles) farther from the Sun in July than in January.
Are Aphelion and Perihelion What Cause the Seasons?
It鈥檚 not the distance from the Sun that causes our seasons. Seasons happen because the Earth鈥檚 axis is tilted at an angle. It鈥檚 because Earth orbits the Sun on a tilt that our planet gets more or less of the Sun鈥檚 direct rays at different times of the year. Read more about the reason for the seasons!
Aphelion and Perihelion on Mars
Though aphelion and perihelion are terms mostly used in reference to Earth since it鈥檚 our home planet, they are also relevant to other planets orbiting the Sun. Every planet has points in the orbits when they are farthest or closest away from their star.
For example, the planet Mars has an even more elliptical orbit than Earth. In comparison, Earth鈥檚 orbit seems almost circular; this almost-circular orbit may be why Earth鈥檚 climate is relatively stable.
Mars also has four seasons, but they are twice as long because it takes about two Earth years for Mars to go around the Sun. The southern hemisphere of Mars has warmer, shorter springs and summers than the north, as Mars is closest to the Sun, which is towards the end of southern spring. The southern winter is longer because Mars is farthest away from the Sun, moving more slowly in its elliptical orbit around the Sun.
For Mars, going from a colder winter to a warmer spring can be quite dramatic.
While Earth鈥檚 distance to the Sun varies throughout its orbit, with aphelion in July and perihelion in January, this variation isn鈥檛 the main driver of our seasons. The tilt of the Earth鈥檚 axis is the key factor. However, understanding aphelion and perihelion helps us appreciate the complexities of planetary motion and how even slight variations in orbit can influence climates.
Did you learn something new today? Or perhaps, do you understand aphelion and perihelion a bit better?
Catherine Boeckmann
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I'm confused. It can't just be a coincidence that Aphelion ~ the Earth's *furthest distance* from the Sun, is so close to the Summer Solstice ~ when the Earth has its *maximum tilt* towards the Sun. And yet, if there *were* a connection between the two phenomena (maybe having to do with the gravitational pull between the two bodies?), then I'd think they'd have their "zeniths" on the same day: the furthest distance and maximum tilt would be marked by the same day, namely, the longest day of the year.
Good question! However, as it happens, aphelion and perihelion are not related to the summer and winter solstices. The times of aphelion/perihelion are slowly shifting. In 1246 a.d., for example, perihelion and the December solstice were on the same day. Now, they are a few weeks apart. In 6430 a.d., perihelion is expected to align with the March equinox.
There are a few different definitions for the year, one being the tropical year and another being the solar year. The solar year is the time it takes the earth to make one complete orbit around the sun. The tropical year is the average of the time between March equinoxes, and is about 10 minutes shorter than the solar year. The calendar is tied to the tropical year, which is why the seasons don't drift over the centuries, but the earth's perihelion and apohelion do, since those are tied to the solar year and the calendar isn't.
