January 3, 2012

    The Earth is at perihelion today at 19 hours U.T. We are closest to the Sun in our annual orbit. Feel any warmer? That is the point in our orbit called perihelion. It might not feel like it to residents of the northern hemisphere, but we are about 5 million kilometers closer today than we were in early July. We also are traveling faster in our orbit around the Sun on this date.

    So if we are, in fact, closer to the Sun, why is it so cold out there in the northern hemisphere? At least it is very cold here in Michigan. Well, the seasons are not caused by the Earth's changing distance from the Sun. I'll let Phil Plait explain.



    Today is the date of the annual Quadrantid meteor shower. It's normally a good one, but you have to be willing to brave the cold if you live in the northern hemisphere, and there will be no Moon will interfere this year.

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Updated September 1, 2011