That snap was actually moonrise last night through the double glass doors, couldn't make myself brave the trip away from fire (coincidently reflected in the glass) . I watched the temp move from -4 at 5am down the ramp to -8 at 6am, then curiously a steady climb back up afterward. By late breakfast a toasty 3. There was enugh heat remaining in the chimney (a very massive and tall one) surprisingly that the last coals were coddled in the ash bed allowing the fire to pop right back to going about its wonderful Rumford back radiance. Sweetness!
aside, source EarthSky:
Tonight – January 2, 2018 – we reach Earth’s closest point to the sun for this entire year at 11:35 p.m. CST (central U.S.). It’ll be the morning of January 3 for Europe and Africa … later in the day January 3 for the rest of the world (January 3 at 5:35 UTC; translate to your time zone). Astronomers call this special point in our orbit perihelion, from the Greek roots peri meaning near and helios meaning sun.
Source: Fred Espenak’s Earth at perihelion and aphelion, 2001 to 2100
On January 3, 2018, Earth at its closest point swings to within 91,401,983 miles (147,097,233 km) of the sun. That’s in contrast to six months from now, when the Earth reaches aphelion – its most distant point – on July 6, 2018. Then we’ll be 94,507,803 miles (152,095,566 km) from the sun.
In other words, Earth is about 3 million miles (5 million km) closer to the sun in early January than it is in early July. That’s always the case. Earth is closest to the sun every year in early January, when it’s winter for the Northern Hemisphere.
We’re farthest away from the sun in early July, during our Northern Hemisphere summer
