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.”
"What makes sense?" Maya asked, fanning herself with a magazine. what season is earth closest to the sun
"The sun," Leo said, pointing a sticky finger upward. "We must be at our closest point to it right now. That’s why summer is so hot. We’re practically on top of the fire." His mom smiled
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. "The sun," Leo said, pointing a sticky finger upward
If you need a quick takeaway from the story:
"You can," Maya laughed. "Just make sure you tell them it doesn't help much if you're leaning backward."
Leo loved watching the night sky. One chilly December evening, he asked his mom, “Why is it so cold if Earth is closest to the sun right now?”