HYDERABAD: Planet Earth will reach the closest point to Sun on Saturday, Planetary Society of India (PSI) said on Friday.
PSI Director N Sri Raghunandan Kumar in a release here said Earth revolves around Sun in an elliptical orbit. Hence, at one point of time during its journey around the sun, it will be at the closest point it can get (perihelion) and at one point of time during the year it would be at the farthest point (aphelion).
He said at 7.27 pm, Planet Earth will reach the closest point to Sun in its annual elliptical orbit around Sun at 0.9832571 AU i.e. at 14,70,93,168 km from Sun.
Astronomically this phenomenon is known as “Perihelion”. Whereas on July 6, 2021 at 3:46 a.m. (IST) Earth will be at Aphelion at 1.0167292 AU (15,21,00,523 km) from Sun that is which is the farthest point from Sun.
In other words, due to Perihelion on January 2, Earth, tomorrow will be 50,07,355 km closer to Sun compared to July 6, Mr Kumar said, adding that people will not be able to notice or observe this celestial event.
This event is of greatest importance with educational potential for students and the public to understand temperatures or Seasons on Earth which are not dependant on the distance of Earth to the Sun but axial tilt during its journey around the Sun. (agencies)
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