The Earth is closest to the Sun at a point in its orbit called perihelion. This event typically occurs in early January, about two weeks after the December solstice. In recent years, perihelion has happened around January 3rd or January 4th. For example, Earth reached perihelion on January 3rd in 2024 and is expected to do so on January 4th in 2025. At perihelion, the Earth is approximately 91 million miles (around 147 million kilometers) from the Sun, which is about 3 million miles closer than at its farthest point, called aphelion, which happens in early July. Despite being closest to the Sun during the northern hemisphere's winter, the seasons are governed by the tilt of Earth's axis, not the distance from the Sun.