“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.
“That’s pretty cool,” Leo said, pulling his jacket tighter. “And a little weird.” what season is earth closest to the sun
His mom smiled. “That’s a great question, Leo. But actually, Earth is closest to the sun in January — just a few weeks from now.” “The universe is full of weird and wonderful
Leo looked up at the cold, clear December sky. “So even when we’re closest to the sun, it’s winter here because of the tilt.” “That’s pretty cool,” Leo said, pulling his jacket
Leo’s eyes widened. “Wait — so we’re closer to the sun in winter? That doesn’t make sense. Shouldn’t it be hot?”
Leo thought for a moment. “So distance to the sun isn’t what makes seasons?”
“Earth is tilted,” she explained. “In December and January, the Northern Hemisphere — where we live — is tilted away from the sun. So even though we’re a bit closer to the sun overall, the sunlight hits us at a low angle, spreading out and giving us less heat. That’s winter.”