What Is Perihelion Day 2023? Know Date & Time in India, Its Significance and All About the Important Celestial Occurrence

Perihelion Day is when the Earth and the Sun are at their closest point in orbit. Earth will be at its closest point to the sun this year on January 4, 2023. This means Perihelion Day 2023 will be marked on January 4, when the Earth’s centre is approximately 91,402,500 miles from the sun’s centre. Perihelion Day occurs about two weeks after every December Solstice when it is winter in the Northern Hemisphere. The Perihelion is believed to be one of the many exciting occurrences. During Perihelion, the gravitational pull of the Sun causes the Earth to draw nearer to it at its centre. This phenomenon has happened since the beginning of our solar system’s formation.  Moreover, the Earth is farthest away from the Sun, at the aphelion point, two weeks after the June solstice, when it is summertime in the Northern Hemisphere. As we gear up to mark Perihelion Day 2023, here’s all you need to know about the significant celestial occurrence. Earth at Perihelion 2023 Live Streaming Online: Know Where and How To Watch the Earth on the Day It’s Closest to the Sun.

Perihelion Day 2023 Date and Time in India

• In India, Perihelion falls on Wednesday, January 4, 2023, at 21:47 IST (9.47 pm)
• On this day, the distance from the Sun's centre to Earth's centre will be 147,098,925 km (91,403,034 mi)

Perihelion Day: All You Need to Know

Perihelion will occur on January 4, 2023. Perihelion can fall anywhere between January 2 and January 6 in any given year. At that point in its orbit, the Earth is over 91 million from the Sun. This phenomenon marks a unique opportunity for earth observation and researchers conducting scientific exploration. The name ‘Perihelion’ comes from the Greek language, ‘peri’ meaning ‘around or near,’ and ‘helios’ meaning ‘sun.’

According to historical records, Perihelion Day was on the December Solstice in 1246. Every 58 years since then, the date has changed by a day. Moreover, Perihelion Day varies each year due to precession and orbital factors that follow specific cyclical patterns known as the Milankovitch cycles. The average distance from the sun to the Earth is 93 million miles, but during perihelion, the Earth is only 91 million miles away from the sun.

The Earth's orbital path changes from nearly circular to elliptical approximately every 100,000 years. The Earth orbits the Sun in an elliptical path. This means that there is one point on the path closest to the Sun and one point that is farthest away from the Sun. Scientifically, this path's shape varies due to the gravitational influences of other planetary objects, particularly the Moon.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 04, 2023 09:19 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).