Here's why:
* Earth's orbit is not a perfect circle: It's slightly elliptical, meaning it's an oval shape.
* Elliptical orbits have two foci: These are special points within the ellipse.
* The Sun occupies one of the foci: This means Earth's distance from the Sun varies slightly throughout the year. We are closest to the Sun in January (perihelion) and farthest in July (aphelion).
This arrangement is a consequence of Kepler's Laws of Planetary Motion, which describe the movement of planets around the Sun.