Distance Between Earth And Moon, How did the moon form? How long does it take the moon to orbit Earth? How far is the moon from Earth? We tackle all of these questions (and more) in our guide. 8 times farther from the Sun than Earth. 🌕🚀 Due to the high zoom, great distance, and high contrast, it appears to be touching the lunar surface—but in reality, it's much closer to Earth. Moon Distances from Earth - 2026 According to Nasa the average distance between the Earth and the Moon is approximately 384,400 kilometers (238,855 miles), however this varies by around 50,000 km each month owing to the Moon's eleptical orbit. The orbit is not a perfect circle. The Moon is on average about 384,400 km (around 238,900 miles) away from Earth. 3 Earth days to revolve around our planet one time. The distance between the Earth and the Moon is much smaller (approx. When the Moon is the farthest away, it’s 252,088 miles away. A beautiful reminder of our place in the cosmos. The distance between the Earth and the Moon isn’t a fixed number; it’s constantly changing due to the Moon’s elliptical orbit. The average distance between the Earth and the Moon, approximately 384,400 kilometers (238,855 miles), equates to about 30 Earth diameters-emphasizing just how vast this space truly is. On average, the distance is approximately 238,900 miles (384,400 kilometers). Average distance? Why mention the distance? Well, the Moon is not always the same distance away from Earth. 86 Kilometers (243,971. 292s to travel from the Moon and arrive to us. The vast, dark How the Moon’s elliptical orbit—ranging from 363,300 km to 405,500 km—affects Earth’s tides, axial tilt, and seasonal stability. Learn how Earth's moon formed, how its orbit affects Earth's tides, why solar and lunar eclipses happen and the history of lunar exploration. The sun and moon are different sizes and located at different distances from the Earth. 8 x 10²⁶ C 8. (All figures from this NASA fact sheet. Astronauts left behind retroreflectors that scientists still use today to bounce lasers off the lunar surface, precisely measuring the distance between Earth and the Moon. 6 km As you can see, the distance between the Earth and Moon varies quite a lot. We often forget how massive the Moon really is until we see it like this. 5 years to reach Earth, the distance between the star and Earth is 6. Its single most outstanding feature is that its near-surface environments are the only places in the universe known to harbor life. ) If the Moon orbited Earth at a con The average distance between earth and moon is 384,400 km (238,855 miles). Space Shuttle program 1981-2011 International Space Station 2000-present remained low Earth orbit 400 kilometers altitude Moon distance 384,400 kilometers nearly 1000 times farther requiring different spacecraft systems life support radiation protection deep space communications navigation capabilities Artemis program developing sustainable Earth, third planet from the Sun and the fifth largest planet in the solar system in terms of size and mass. This means that the distance between the Earth and Sun, which is 93 million miles on average, varies throughout the year. 4 = 397291. 0 cm 28. Because the Moon does not orbit Earth in a perfect circle, but instead travels in a slightly elliptical orbit, its distance from Earth varies between 225,700 miles (363,300 kilometers) and 252,000 miles (405,500 What is the real average distance to the Moon? Explore its dynamic, elliptical orbit and the laser technology scientists use to measure its slow drift. 6 x 10³ C 9 x 10⁶ C The moon is approximately 238,855 miles (384,400 km) away from the Earth. Their rotations are so in sync we only see one side of the Moon. 3 light-seconds away from the Earth. 💫 There's no Average distance? Why mention the distance? Well, the Moon is not always the same distance away from Earth. The average distance of the Moon from Earth is 384,400 km, varying between 363,300 km at perigee and 405,500 km at apogee. 4 cm What equal charges would to be placed on earth and moon to neutralize their gravitational attraction (Use mass of earth = 10²⁵ kg, mass of moon = 10²³ kg) 8. It's such a big gap that you can almost fit all the 7 other planets in between. Learn more about development and composition of Earth in this article. Orbit around Earth: It takes the Moo 27. 0. The real-time speed of light is also shown. Humans didn't see the lunar far side until a Soviet spacecraft flew past in 1959. The Moon orbits Earth in an elliptical pattern, which means that it is closer to Earth at some points and farther away at other points. So how far is the Moon? Like all celestial bodies, the Moon is in constant motion, and its always someplace else. So far apart! This Distance Calculator is free to use in South Africa or any other location worldwide, find the Distance Between towns, cities, and places, calculate your journey time for free. The Moon is approximately 384,000 km (238,600 miles) away from Earth, on average. Answer: The distance between the star and Earth is 6. This is the distance between the Earth and Moon with the correct sizes and scales. Track the Moon's distance from Earth in real-time with our interactive l unar distance calculator. On average, the Moon orbits approximately 238,900 miles (384,400 kilometers) from Earth, but this figure varies due to its elliptical orbit. 0 kilometers, equivalent to 0. The closest dwarf planet to the Sun, and the only dwarf planet in the inner solar system, Ceres orbits the Sun from an average distance of 257 million miles (413 million kilometers) Ceres is about 2. The distance between the moon and Earth is constantly changing due to the moon’s elliptical orbit. 4 days ago · The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. That’s between 28 and 29 Earths. ️🔥 Usually, it's just a meteorite (space rock), satellite, high-flying aircraft, bird, or space debris passing between your camera and the moon. Lunar distance calculator Distance from Earth The distance of the Moon from Earth is currently 387,393. Ace your courses with our free study and lecture notes, summaries, exam prep, and other resources Half of the Moon’s surface is always illuminated by sunlight. The Earth and Moon are tidally locked. It’s farther away than you might realize. 3 cm 35. Many are familiar with Apollo 11, the mission that landed humans on the Moon for the first time. 6 million miles closer to the sun. It goes around the Earth at a distance of about 239,000 miles (385,000 kilometers). The Moon's apparent size in Earth's sky is about the same as that of the Sun, which causes it to cover the Sun completely during a total solar eclipse. The closest distance is called perigee, whereas the farthest distance between the moon and earth is known as apogee. The distance between the Moon and Earth isn’t a fixed number; it constantly fluctuates. Light takes 1. On February 17, an annular solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes directly between Earth and the Sun but is too distant to completely cover the solar disk. Lunar distance The instantaneous Earth–Moon distance, or distance to the Moon, is the distance from the center of Earth to the center of the Moon. The distance between the Earth and the Moon isn’t a fixed number; it varies due to the Moon’s elliptical orbit. When the Moon is at its farthest point from Earth, known as its apogee, it can be as far as 406,700 km (252,700 miles) away. 268,770 AU). To get your imagination going, this distance is 86 times the distance between New York and Las vegas. On average, the distance is about 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers). A good ballpark number to remember is that the Moon is about a quarter of a million miles away (that is, 250,000 miles), or about 400 thousand kilometers. During the first week in January, the Earth is about 1. When it's closest, the Moon is 225,623 miles away. James O'Donog Distance between the surfaces of the Earth and Moon at apogee = 405400 – 8108. On average, the Moon orbits Earth at a distance of about 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers), but this distance can range from roughly 225,623 miles (363,104 kilometers) at its closest point (perigee) to 252,088 miles (405,696 Fun Facts About the Moon 75 kilometers), the Moon is just 1/4 the size of Earth. 5 inches (3. The Mind-Blowing Distance Between Earth and the Moon In the vastness of space, we often forget the true distance that separates our planet from the Moon. From a distance, the day and night phases of the lunar day are visible as the lunar phases, and when the Moon passes through Earth's shadow a lunar eclipse is observable. How do we measure the distance between the Earth and the Moon? Astronomers use parallax, lunar eclipses, radar and laser ranging to measure lunar distance. The moon's distance from Earth changes depending on where it is in its elliptical orbit. That is about the width of 30 Earths. A menudo, cuando vemos ilustraciones de la Tierra y la Luna, parecen estar verdaderamente muy juntas. The orbit of the moon around the Earth is not a perfect circle so the distance varies a little. In other words, the Moon is 1. So, if light takes 6. In contrast, the Lunar distance (LD or ), or Earth–Moon characteristic distance, is a unit of measure in astronomy. The average distance between the Earth and the Moon is 384 400 km (238 855 miles). More technically, it is the semi-major axis of the geocentric lunar orbit. 0025895623 Astronomical Units. Between these two worlds lies 238,855 miles of empty void—a distance that astronauts crossed to look back and see home. Jun 10, 2025 · The average distance of the Moon from Earth is 384,400 km, varying between 363,300 km at perigee and 405,500 km at apogee. So far apart! The distance between the Earth and the moon grew as time passed. See live distance updates, supermoon/micromoon alerts, and animated orbital diagrams showing exactly how far away the Moon is right now. *Animation by Dr. Distance from Earth: The Moon's av rage distance from Earth is 238,000 miles (383,500 km). In the image, the Earth's diameter of 12,750 kilometers (7,917 miles) is dwarfed by the immense gap to its satellite. 6 cm 22. Rotation ranges, rilles (long narrow channels), and lava plains. In a quiet village where the earth still remembered the footsteps of gods, a man sat cross-legged in the dust, his world narrowed to the gentle curve of a needle and the patience of his breath. Currently, the moon drifts away from our planet at a rate of approximately 1. Question: What is the true distance of the moon from the surface of the earth, since VLT @ Paranal can shoot a high powered laser to measure the distance? Based on surface temperatures recorded by NASA, it appears to be much closer than stated and potentially within the middle thermosphere. Click for more. At θ = 180°, aphelion, the distance is maximum (by definition, aphelion is – invariably – perihelion plus 180°) The semi-major axis a is the arithmetic mean between rmin and rmax: We all know that the Earth makes a complete revolution around the sun once every 365 days, following an orbit that is elliptical in shape. The distance to the nearest star (Proxima Centauri) is much larger (approx. However, just how much of that light we can see from our point of view on Earth varies every day and this is what we refer to as a Moon phase. It was part of the larger Apollo program. 6 x 10¹³ C 6. The Moon orbits Earth at a semi-major axis of 384400 km, with its periapsis being 363300 km and apoapsis being 405500 km. The Moon Distance Calculator shows approximate times for when the Moon is closest to the Earth (perigee) and furthest from the Earth (apogee). The distance between Earth and the Moon is more than just a number; it’s a key to understanding the intricate dance between our planet and its celestial companion. Subscribed 928 80K views 3 years ago A visualization of the distance between Earth and the Moon sources :more If the interacting force between them is still the same, their separation now is 16. How Far Away Is the Moon from Earth? The distance of the Moon from Earth is currently 392,549. 32 Miles), equivalent to 0. A quarter the size of Earth, yet it dominates our night sky. At its closest (perigee): roughly 363,000–363,300 km (about 225,600–226,000 miles). 1) How far away is the Moon? The Moon is farther away from Earth than people often think. This variation in distance matters for a number of reasons. That’s almost 32 Earths. As a result, a bright ring of sunlight At a distance of about 444 light-years, it is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and the nearest Messier object to Earth, being the most obvious star cluster to the naked eye in the night sky. Tal vez te sorprendas. Today, millimeter-precision measurements of the lunar distance are made by measuring the time it takes for light to travel between LIDAR stations here on the Earth and retroreflectors placed on . 5 light-years. Here in this article, we will know about the mean or average distance of the moon from earth. 0026 AU). At θ = 0°, perihelion, the distance is minimum At θ = 90° and at θ = 270° the distance is equal to . Feb 2, 2026 · The Moon is approximately 384,000 km (238,600 miles) away from Earth, on average. 3 seconds for light to travel from the Moon back to the Earth. How far is that in light-seconds? Light travels at 300,000 kilometres per second, so it takes about 1. The Moon is 252,171 miles (405,831 km) from Earth as of February 11, 2026 4:39 AM UTC. The average distance is around 384,400 kilometers or 230,600 miles. The Moon is at an average distance of 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers) away from Earth. 0026240337 Astronomical Units. There were several missions It's quite common. 8 cm) a year, roughly the same rate at Royal Observatory astronomer Affelia Wibisono explains all How far away is the Moon from the Earth? The average distance between the Earth and the Moon is 384 400 km (238 855 miles). Quick Scoop: The Moon’s Distance The average Earth–Moon distance: about 384,400 km (238,800–238,900 miles). Looking for the real-time distance between Earth and the Moon? Find out the current distance of the Moon with our reliable and accurate tracker. pbnj, ybecm7, hvtj7v, dragh, stgfj, dzi6h, n1llw, vs8y5, 0dxk, b135g4,