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Perihelion
Introduction References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Diagram showing Earth's elliptical orbit around the Sun with labeled points for aphelion, perihelion, solstices, and equinoxes, and distances from the Sun at aphelion and perihelion. A diagram of a planet's elliptical orbit around the Sun, labeled with key points: A for aphelion, B for perihelion, C for the center, S for the Sun, P for the planet, V for true anomaly, and E for eccentric anomaly, with lines and angles illustrating their relationships.

Perihelion: References & Edit History

Article Contributors

Primary Contributors

  • Erik Gregersen
    Erik Gregersen is a senior editor at Encyclopaedia Britannica, specializing in the physical sciences and technology. Before joining Britannica in 2007, he worked at the University of Chicago Press on the Astrophysical Journal. Prior to that, he worked at McMaster University on the ODIN radio astronomy satellite project. 

Other Encyclopedia Britannica Contributors

Article History

Type Description Contributor Date
Article title updated for style. Nov 09, 2026
Add new Web site: Space - Perihelion: What is it and when does it occur? Aug 31, 2026
New article added. Mar 03, 2026
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