Many people differ in that the distance of the Earth from the Sun does not influence the formation of the seasons. Not surprisingly, there is a 14-day difference between the Sun's solstice on December 21, when this H-alpha is drawn, and the solstice date. There are also only 11 days between sunrise and the close flyby of the Sun by NASA's Parker Solar Probe.

Launched in 2018, the Parker Solar Probe came within 6.2 million kilometers of the Sun on December 24, 2024, once again breaking the record for the closest approach to the Sun by a spacecraft.

January 4, 2025 Astronomy Photo of the Day (NASA APOD)

Image Source & Copyright: Peter Ward (Barden Ridge Observatory)