Earth is closest to the sun in January

Earth is closest to the sun in early January! That's a fact, due to the lopsided orbit of Earth around the sun. When it

is closest, it is known as perihelion. Six months later, in early July, Earth is farthest from the sun. That's called

aphelion.

While the average distance between the sun and Earth is 93 million miles, it's about 2% closer than that in January,

and 2% farther than that in July. That's a total difference of about 4% but that is not what controls seasons. Seasons

are caused by the tilt of the Earth's axis resulting in lower sun angle and shorter days in the winter, and a higher

sun angle and longer days in the summer.

WKRG-TV Chief Meteorologist Alan Sealls