Scientists measure how stretched out an orbit is using a term called . A perfect circle has an eccentricity of zero. Earth’s orbit has a very low eccentricity of about 0.0167. This means our orbit is nearly circular, but that tiny deviation is still enough to cause a 3-million-mile variance in distance over the course of a year. Distance vs. Seasons: The Great Misconception
The Seasons, the Equinox, and the Solstices - National Weather Service when is earth closest to the sun
In January, the Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun. This tilt causes shorter days and less concentrated sunlight, resulting in winter. Scientists measure how stretched out an orbit is
During perihelion, Earth is approximately (147 million kilometers) away from the Sun. By contrast, when Earth is farthest from the Sun in early July (a point called aphelion ), it sits about 94.5 million miles (152 million kilometers) away. Why Our Orbit Is Not a Perfect Circle This means our orbit is nearly circular, but
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