On January 2, 2021, Earth is near Sun: In its elliptical orbit more than any other day of the year marking the annual event known as the Perihelion.
The word perihilian is translated from the ancient Greek, meaning “close to the sun”. According to Earthsyki, the Earth’s perihelion was expected to reach ET at 8:51 a.m. Saturday.
Sun: The sky on Saturday is about 3% larger – not enough to notice with the naked eye. Remember: You should never look at the sun without proper eye protection, and sunglasses are not a sufficient replacement for sunglasses.
Earth’s orbit is not a perfect circle, meaning that sometimes the planets are a little closer to our star, and sometimes they are farther away. The Moon’s distance from Earth is about 13 times the distance of about 3 million miles during the year.
The perihelion also marks the moment when the earth is moving the fastest in its orbit around the sun. The planet is currently orbiting the Sun at a speed of about 19 miles per second – about 6 miles per second, reaching its farthest point from the Sun in July.
“If you run eastward at local midnight, you’ll be moving as fast as you can to your location (at least in sun-centered coordination).” NASA said.
Because of this, summer in the Northern Hemisphere lasts five days longer than winter, according to Earthsyki. The opposite is true in the Southern Hemisphere.
Although the sunlight is more intense on Saturday, due to the 23.5-degree tilt of the Earth’s axis, winter in the Northern Hemisphere is not affected. Staying close to the sun does not change the Earth’s tilt, so the North Pole is still tilted away from the Sun.
Six months from now, on July 5, the Earth will be at its farthest from the Sun, known as its Aphelion, meaning “far from the Sun.” In the Perihelion, the Earth is about 91.5 million miles from the Sun, and on the Aphelion, it is about 94.5 million miles away.
Between the perihelion and the aphelion, there is a difference of about 6.7% in the intensity of sunlight as it strikes our planet. According to NASA, this is an explanation for the more extreme asons in the Southern Hemisphere compared to the Northern Hemisphere.
This perihelion is not the only celestial event this weekend. Sunday morning to Saturday night also marks the peak of this Quadrangular meteor shower – Best of the year.
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