perigee

American  

[per-i-jee] / ˈpɛr ɪˌdʒi /

noun

Astronomy.

1. the point in the orbit of a heavenly body, especially the moon, or of an artificial satellite at which it is nearest to the earth.

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perigee British  

/ ˈpɛrɪˌdʒiː /

noun

1. the point in its orbit around the earth when the moon or an artificial satellite is nearest the earth Compare apogee

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perigee Scientific  

/ pĕr′ə-jē /

1. The point nearest Earth's center in the orbit of the Moon or an artificial satellite.

2. The point in an orbit that is nearest to the body being orbited.

3. Compare apogee perihelion

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perigee Cultural  

1. The point in the orbit of a satellite at which it is closest to its parent body. (Compare apogee.)

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Other Word Forms

• perigeal adjective
• perigean adjective

Etymology

Origin of perigee

First recorded in 1585–95; from French perigée, from New Latin perigēum, perigaeum, from Greek perígeion (sēmeîon) “perigee,” literally “boundary, limit (surrounding the earth),” equivalent to neuter of perígeios “surrounding the earth,” ( peri- peri- + -geios, adjective derivative of gaîa, gê “the earth”)

Compare meaning

How does perigee compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• apogee vs. perigee

Explanation

The perigee is the point in the orbit of an object circling the Earth when that object is closest to the Earth. The best time to observe the moon is when the moon reaches its perigee. The Greek ancestor of the word perigee was originally used by Ptolemy, a Roman scientist and astrologer who lived almost 2,000 years ago. The opposite of perigee is apogee. A perigee is measured from the center of the earth to the center of the orbiting object. When the moon is at its perigee, it can appear up to 14 percent larger than when it is at its apogee, but you probably can't tell the difference with the naked eye.

Example Sentences

When the Moon is in "perigee" - or near its closest point to Earth - and that coincides with a full Moon, fully illuminated by the sun's light, we call it a supermoon.

From BBC • Dec. 5, 2025

The Moon has an elliptical orbit and when it is at its closest point to the Earth we say that it is in perigee.

From BBC • Sep. 12, 2025

A supermoon occurs when the full Moon coincides with when the moon is at its closest point to earth in its orbit - the perigee.

From BBC • Aug. 19, 2024

New moons at perigee will occur again on Feb. 9, March 10 and April 8.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2024

Although I hadn’t had a seizure since May, the night of the perigee moon—which was now one hundred million miles behind me—I felt disconnected and drained.

From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith

Related Words

• path
• pattern
• rotation
• trajectory