What Season Is Earth Closest To The Sun May 2026

She continued, “In July, we’re actually farthest from the sun — but the Northern Hemisphere tilts toward the sun. The sunlight hits us directly, making it hot summer.”

“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. what season is earth closest to the sun

“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.” She continued, “In July, we’re actually farthest from

“You’ve got it,” Mom said.