Perihelion
/ˌpɛrɪˈhiːliən/noun
The point in an orbit where a body is closest to the Sun.
Did you know?Perihelion was coined in scientific Latin from Greek roots, and its sibling term aphelion uses the same structure to mark the farthest point from the Sun.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
peri hēlion
“around the Sun”
17th Century
Neolatin
perihelion
“the point in an orbit nearest the Sun”
17th–18th Century
English
perihelion
“the point in a planet's or comet's orbit nearest the Sun”
Modern English
English
perihelion
“the point in an orbit where a body is closest to the Sun”
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