Earth at Perihelion Jan 4, 2023

Earth at Perihelion

We"ve reached perihelion! Two weeks after winter solstice the Earth"s orbit is closer to the sun than at any other time of year—a result of the Earth"s elliptical orbit. You may think, "If we"re so close to the sun, why can"t I feel the heat?" Well, that"s because we"re only receiving about 7% more solar energy than normal, which doesn"t really have much impact on the weather.

© JSC/NASA

palette

Today in History

Jan 4, 2019Observing World Braille Day in Bavaria
Jan 4, 2020Celebrating whales—and a whale of a tale
Jan 4, 2021Sparkling ice diamonds on a black sandy beach
Jan 4, 2022Borrego Badlands
Jan 4, 2024Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
Jan 4, 2025Bản Giốc–Detian Falls, Vietnam
Jan 4, 2026Kings Mountain, Chugach Mountains, Alaska

More Desktop Wallpapers:

May 14, 2018Celebrating Bike to Work Week, May 14-18
Sep 16, 2023Oktoberfest begins
Dec 24, 2022Christmas Eve
Jun 16, 2018Drop in on International Surfing Day
Dec 14, 2021American robin
Dec 26, 2025Boxing Day
Mar 31, 2019Celebrating a Paris landmark
Mar 21, 2023International Day of Color
Mar 8, 2022International Women s Day
Oct 30, 2021Central Highlands of Vietnam
Apr 8, 2026Seattle, Washington
Aug 4, 2026International Owl Awareness Day
May 9, 2019An endless journey
Nov 19, 2025Hungarian Parliament Building, Budapest, Hungary
Jan 30, 2021Even nature needs a backup plan…
Jun 11, 2019Installation art turns heads
Jul 8, 2020It s only Wednesday
Apr 17, 2021A river runs through it
Jun 23, 2025The Elbe in Dresden, Germany
May 9, 2020Here’s looking at you, teachers
Feb 19, 2018Thomas Jefferson Memorial, Washington, DC
Jul 7, 2026Plate-billed mountain toucan with orchids, Ecuador
Jul 7, 2025Northern gannets, Shetland Islands, Scotland
Feb 3, 2026Emerald Bay and Fannette Island, Lake Tahoe, California
Jun 27, 2022Lavender fields on the Valensole Plateau in Provence, France
Feb 14, 2025Happy Valentines Day!
Jun 9, 2022Sweetheart Abbey, Scotland
Nov 18, 2018An inland ocean
Dec 31, 2021New Year s Eve
May 29, 20261953 Mount Everest Expedition