What Season Is Earth Closest To The Sun May 2026

“Exactly,” Mom said. “The tilt is the real star of the show. In fact, Earth’s orbit is almost a circle. The difference in distance is only about 3 million miles — tiny compared to 93 million miles total. That small change can’t beat the tilt’s effect.”

“That’s pretty cool,” Leo said, pulling his jacket tighter. “And a little weird.” what season is earth closest to the sun

“Let me show you something,” Mom said. She grabbed a flashlight and an orange. “The sun is the flashlight, and Earth is the orange.” She tilted the orange slightly on an imaginary axis. “Exactly,” Mom said

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 difference in distance is only about 3

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.”