, Perihelium, that point in the orbit of a planet or comet which is nearest to the sun. In which sense it stands opposed to Aphelion, or Aphelium, which is the highest or most distant point from the sun.
Instead of this term, the Ancients used Perigeum; because they placed the earth in the centre.
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Entry taken from A Mathematical and Philosophical Dictionary, by Charles Hutton, 1796.
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