perihelion
noun
peri·he·lion
ˌper-ə-ˈhēl-yən 
plural perihelia
ˌper-ə-ˈhēl-yə
: the point nearest to the sun in the path of an orbiting celestial body (such as a planet) compare aphelion
Examples of perihelion in a Sentence
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The comet is expected to reach perihelion on Jan. 13 at 10:17 Universal Time (UT), at a distance of 8,695,216 miles (13,993,594 km) from the sun.
—
Joe Rao, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025
On Saturday, our planet at perihelion will be just 0.98333 astronomical units (about 147 million kilometers or 91 million miles) from the sun.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
During previous perihelions, the spacecraft traversed a region called the Alfvén surface, where the solar wind — a stream of particles emitted by the sun — escapes into space.
—Becky Ferreira, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Close approaches, known as perihelions of the probe’s run around the sun, are valuable opportunities to view the sun’s ethereal corona up close.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2024
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Joe Rao, Space.com, 9 Jan. 2025
On Saturday, our planet at perihelion will be just 0.98333 astronomical units (about 147 million kilometers or 91 million miles) from the sun.
—Jamie Carter, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
During previous perihelions, the spacecraft traversed a region called the Alfvén surface, where the solar wind — a stream of particles emitted by the sun — escapes into space.
—Becky Ferreira, New York Times, 24 Dec. 2024
Close approaches, known as perihelions of the probe’s run around the sun, are valuable opportunities to view the sun’s ethereal corona up close.
—Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 23 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for perihelion
Dictionary Entries Near perihelion
Cite this Entry
“Perihelion.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/perihelion. Accessed 19 Jan. 2025.
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perihelion
noun
peri·he·lion
ˌper-ə-ˈhēl-yən
: the point in the path of a heavenly body (as a planet) that is nearest to the sun
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