perihelion

[ per-uh-hee-lee-uhn, -heel-yuhn ]

noun

, Astronomy.

, plural per·i·he·li·a [per-, uh, -, hee, -lee-, uh, -, heel, -y, uh].

1. the point in the orbit of a planet or comet at which it is nearest to the sun.

perihelion

/ ˌpɛrɪˈhiːlɪən /

noun

1. the point in its orbit when a planet or comet is nearest the sun Compare aphelion

perihelion

/ pĕr′ə-hē′lē-ən /

1. The point at which an orbiting object, such as a planet or a comet, is closest to the Sun.
2. Compare aphelion

Other Words From

• peri·heli·al peri·heli·an adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of perihelion¹

1660–70; < Greek peri- peri- + hḗli ( os ) sun + -on neuter noun suffix, on the model of perigee; earlier in the New Latin form perihelium

Word History and Origins

Origin of perihelion¹

C17: from New Latin perihēlium, from peri- + Greek hēlios sun

Example Sentences

The mission is approaching its 19th perihelion on March 30, 2024 at a distance of 11.5 solar radii from Sun center.

From Science Daily

Even as the Northern Hemisphere experiences winter’s chill, our planet on Tuesday, depending on your time zone, will be at perihelion, the closest it gets to the sun during its elliptical orbit.

From New York Times

The exact distances of Earth’s perihelion and aphelion change a bit from year to year because of the gravitational influence of the other planets, as well as that of the moon.

From Scientific American

Even as the Northern Hemisphere experiences winter’s chill, our planet on Wednesday will be at perihelion, the closest it gets to the sun during its elliptical orbit.

From New York Times

For the Northern Hemisphere, Comet Leonard is tricky, as that dirty, fuzzy snowball reaches perihelion on Jan. 3.

From Washington Post