How Far Away Is the Moon?
The Moon's distance from Earth is not fixed. Because the Moon follows an elliptical orbit, the distance changes constantly throughout each lunar cycle. The key figures are:
- Average distance: approximately 384,400 km (238,855 miles)
- Closest point (perigee): approximately 362,600 km (225,300 miles)
- Farthest point (apogee): approximately 405,400 km (251,900 miles)
Expressed in other units, the average Earth–Moon distance is roughly 60 Earth radii, or about 1.28 light-seconds — meaning light takes just over one second to travel between the two bodies.
Measuring the Distance