Earth will reach perihelion, its closest point to the Sun, on January 3, 2026. This event occurs annually about two weeks after the December solstice due to Earth's elliptical orbit, varying its distance from the Sun between 91.4 and 94.5 million miles. Despite being closest to the Sun in January, the Northern Hemisphere experiences winter because seasons are determined by the Earth's axial tilt, not its distance from the Sun.