The Earth is actually closest to the Sun in early January, around January 3rd or 4th, and farthest from the Sun in early July, around July 4th. This point of closest approach to the Sun is called perihelion, and the point farthest from the Sun is called aphelion.

Here's why this might be counterintuitive:

* Seasons are caused by the tilt of Earth's axis, not its distance from the Sun. The Earth is tilted on its axis at about 23.5 degrees. This tilt causes different parts of the Earth to receive varying amounts of direct sunlight throughout the year, leading to the change in seasons.

* The difference in distance is relatively small. While the Earth is slightly closer to the Sun during perihelion, the difference in distance is not significant enough to cause a noticeable change in temperature.

* Earth's orbit is elliptical, not circular. This means that the Earth's orbit is slightly oval-shaped, with the Sun at one of the foci.

Therefore, even though the Earth is closest to the Sun in January, it doesn't experience the hottest temperatures then because of the tilt of its axis and the relatively small difference in distance.