Question

When does Earth's perihelion position, the point of orbit when it is closest to the Sun, occur?

1) During the Northern Hemisphere's autumn.
2) During the Northern Hemisphere's spring.
3) During the Northern Hemisphere's winter.
4) During the Northern Hemisphere's summer.

Answer 1

Earth's perihelion, when it is closest to the Sun, occurs during the Northern Hemisphere's winter, typically in the first week of January.Option 3 is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

Earth's perihelion, the point in its orbit when it is closest to the Sun, occurs during the Northern Hemisphere's winter. Specifically, Earth reaches perihelion in the first week of January, although the exact day can vary slightly each year.

This closeness to the Sun coincides with winter in the Northern Hemisphere due to the axial tilt of Earth, and not the distance from the Sun, being the primary reason for the change in seasons. As Earth orbits in an elliptical path, the perihelion position causes the Northern Hemisphere's winters to be milder.

Conversely, Northern Hemisphere's summers occur when Earth is at the aphelion, the farthest point from the Sun, also contributing to milder summer temperatures in that hemisphere.