Perihelion

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/perihelion

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the orbital eccentricity (earth)?Approximately 0.0167, indicating a nearly circular orbit
2. When does Earth reach perihelion?Earth reaches perihelion once a year, around January 3. That’s the time it’s nearest to the Sun.
3. Does being closer to the Sun make it warmer?No. The seasons are caused by Earth's tilt, not how far it is from the Sun. Even at perihelion, the Northern Hemisphere is in winter because it is tilted away.

Orbital Eccentricity: A measure of how much an orbit deviates from being a perfect circle.
Insolation: The amount of solar radiation reaching a surface, crucial for determining temperature.
Milankovitch Cycles: Long-term variations in Earth's orbital parameters that influence climate over millennia.