Earth reaches perihelion in early January , typically between January 2 and January 5. In recent decades, the date has varied slightly due to gravitational perturbations from Jupiter and other planets. For example, in 2024, perihelion occurred on January 3. Therefore, the month during which Earth is closest to the Sun is January .
The timing of perihelion shifts very slowly over thousands of years due to axial precession. Approximately 13,000 years from now, perihelion will align with July, reversing the seasonal distance relationship. However, for the present epoch, the closest approach remains firmly in January.
At perihelion, Earth is approximately 147.1 million kilometers (91.4 million miles) from the Sun, compared to about 152.1 million kilometers (94.5 million miles) at aphelion, which occurs in early July.