On January 3, 2026, observers will witness a striking celestial display: the sun will appear at its largest in the sky, a spectacle unique to that day of the year. This phenomenon, known in astronomical circles as perihelion, marks the precise moment when Earth reaches its closest orbital proximity to our star during its annual journey.
Earth embarks on an annual journey around the sun, a celestial loop completed at an average distance of 93 million miles (150 million kilometers). This fundamental measurement is globally recognized as one astronomical unit (AU).
Yet, contrary to a perfectly circular path, our planet’s trajectory is an ellipse—an elongated oval—causing its separation from the solar core to fluctuate by approximately 3% as it navigates its yearly revolution.
On January 3, 2026, Earth will achieve its closest annual approach to the sun, an event known as perihelion. Precisely at 12:15 p.m. EST (1715 GMT), our planet will navigate within 91,498,806 miles (147,253,054 kilometers) of the solar giant, marking a key moment in its orbital journey for the year.
At this time of year, when Earth is closer to our star, the sun’s apparent size through a solar-filtered telescope reveals a subtle yet distinct difference. It looms marginally larger compared to its view at aphelion, the point of greatest orbital distance. This visual contrast is attributed to an additional 3.1 million miles (5 million km) separating us from the sun during its most distant phase.
Despite Earth’s varying distance from the sun, the perceived shift in our star’s angular size is remarkably subtle. According to data from In-The-Sky, the sun’s apparent diameter measures 32 arcminutes and 31 arcseconds at perihelion—Earth’s closest point to the sun—shrinking only marginally to 31 arcminutes and 27 arcseconds at aphelion, its farthest position.
Crucially, this negligible change in our planet’s proximity to the sun bears no measurable influence on Earth’s global temperatures or the rhythmic passage of its seasons. Instead, these fundamental climatic patterns are solely dictated by the Earth’s consistent 23.4-degree axial tilt relative to its orbital plane around the sun.
**A crucial safety warning for all:** Directly observing the sun, whether with the naked eye or through any standard optical device such as a telescope or binoculars, is extremely dangerous. Such an act can lead to instant and permanent vision loss.
**Share Your Sun Photos with Space.com Readers**
Space.com is inviting amateur astronomers and astrophotographers to submit their images of the sun, particularly during its perihelion phase. If you possess the specialized equipment necessary for safely capturing such celestial events and wish to share your work with our readership, please forward your photographs, along with any relevant comments, your name, and your location to spacephotos@space.com.
