The power of this tilt completely overpowers the effect of orbital distance. A 3-million-mile difference sounds massive to a human, but in the scale of the solar system, it is a minor fluctuation. The variation in solar energy caused by the elliptical orbit is only about 7%, whereas the energy difference caused by the angle of the sun’s rays is dramatic.
| Season in Northern Hemisphere | Date of Season Start | Earth-Sun Distance | Relationship | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | ~Dec 21 | Closest (Perihelion ~Jan 4) | Earth is at its minimum distance. | | Spring | ~Mar 20 | Intermediate | Distance increasing toward aphelion. | | Summer | ~June 21 | Farthest (Aphelion ~July 4) | Earth is at its maximum distance. | | Fall | ~Sep 22 | Intermediate | Distance decreasing toward perihelion. | what season are we closest to the sun
This means the Earth is roughly to the Sun in January than it is in July. Why Distance Does Not Cause the Seasons The power of this tilt completely overpowers the
As Earth orbits the sun, this tilt remains fixed in space, causing different hemispheres to "lean" toward or away from the sun at different points in the year. In January: What Causes the Seasons? | NASA Space Place | Season in Northern Hemisphere | Date of
If you step outside on January 4th, shivering in the northern latitudes, you are standing on a planet that is hurtling through space closer to the sun than at any other time of the year. Meanwhile, the scorching heat of July and August happens when the Earth is at its most distant, drifting millions of miles further out into the black void.
The misconception that we are farther from the sun in winter arises from a logical, but incorrect, intuitive leap: "Winter is cold, so we must be farther from the sun."