This near complete uniformity of temperature is caused by the fact that Andagoya, at a latitude of 5°5' North, lies extremely close to the thermal equator, which is situated a few degrees north of the astronomical equator because the Earth reaches perihelion (its closest position to the Sun in its orbit) in early January and is at aphelion (furthest away) in early July, causing places located precisely at the equator to receive somewhat more insolation (i.e., light and heat energy from the sun) in January than in July even though the height of the sun and the length of days would be the same at both times.