Levon Azizyan, Director of the Center for Hydrometeorology and Monitoring SNCO, writes:
“On January 3, 2026, at 21:15 Yerevan time (17:15UTC), the Earth will reach perihelion, the closest point to the Sun, at a distance of only 147,098,291 kilometers, which is about 2.5 million kilometers less than the average distance from the Sun.
Despite winter in the Northern Hemisphere, this cosmic event reminds us that the Earth is constantly orbiting at an incredible speed. The average orbital speed is ≈ 29.765 km/s, and at perihelion, it is 30.27 km/s. A small moment, but a powerful reminder of our place in the Solar System.”
