periapsis

The point at which an orbiting object is closest to the center of mass of the body it is orbiting. This point is sometimes given a name that is specific to the body being orbited. For example, the periapsis of an object orbiting Earth is its perigee (from gaia , the Greek word for Earth), and the periapsis of an object orbiting the Sun is its perihelion (from hēlios , the Greek word for Sun). According to Kepler's laws of planetary motion , an object is at its greatest velocity at the periapsis.

Compare apoapsis