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Earth Orbit Plot
Earth is closest to the Sun in early January (perihelion) — so seasons are not caused by distance. Tilt is the reason.
Distance 0.9833 AU on day 4
Before you start
Earth is closest to the Sun in early January. Northern-hemisphere winter is therefore not ‘because we are far’.
Key idea
Seasons come from tilt. Distance varies by only about 3%.
What you see
- Earth on a slightly eccentric ellipse
- Day-of-year slider
- Perihelion / aphelion labels
Try this
- Day 4 vs day 185
- Read the AU distance
Why it matters in Hong Kong
Hong Kong’s summer is in July near aphelion — slightly farther from the Sun, still hotter because of tilt.
Common mistakes
- Using distance as the seasons explanation
Glossary
- Aphelion
- Farthest point from the Sun, early July for Earth.