Moon Distances from Earth - 2002

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.

This variation in distance matters for a number of reasons. When the moon is closest (preigee) it will appear both bigger and brighter. When this coincides with a full moon it is known as a "supremoon" and can appear up to 17% bigger and 30% brighter. The proximity of the moon also affects the size of the tides, with the tidal range being greatest when the moon is closest.

Closest to Earth (Perigee)

Moon distance table - Closest approach (Perigee)
Date Time Distance (Km) Distance (miles)
2nd Jan 2002 07:21 365,384 km 228,365 mi
30th Jan 2002 09:06 359,983 km 224,989 mi
27th Feb 2002 19:50 356,893 km 223,058 mi
28th Mar 2002 07:48 357,013 km 223,133 mi
25th Apr 2002 16:31 360,096 km 225,060 mi
23rd May 2002 15:40 365,006 km 228,129 mi
19th Jun 2002 07:36 369,343 km 230,839 mi
14th Jul 2002 13:13 367,876 km 229,923 mi
10th Aug 2002 23:22 362,945 km 226,841 mi
8th Sep 2002 03:11 358,754 km 224,221 mi
6th Oct 2002 13:10 356,918 km 223,074 mi
4th Nov 2002 00:40 358,146 km 223,841 mi
2nd Dec 2002 08:43 362,272 km 226,420 mi
30th Dec 2002 00:58 367,874 km 229,921 mi

Furthest from Earth (Apogee)

Moon distance table - Furthest away (Apogee)
Date Time Distance (Km) Distance (miles)
18th Jan 2002 08:55 405,538 km 253,461 mi
14th Feb 2002 22:33 406,382 km 253,989 mi
14th Mar 2002 01:26 406,707 km 254,192 mi
10th Apr 2002 05:42 406,390 km 253,994 mi
7th May 2002 19:20 405,452 km 253,408 mi
4th Jun 2002 13:00 404,484 km 252,803 mi
2nd Jul 2002 07:34 404,171 km 252,607 mi
30th Jul 2002 01:39 404,707 km 252,942 mi
26th Aug 2002 17:33 405,669 km 253,543 mi
23rd Sep 2002 03:11 406,341 km 253,963 mi
20th Oct 2002 04:24 406,369 km 253,981 mi
16th Nov 2002 11:21 405,823 km 253,639 mi
14th Dec 2002 03:52 404,950 km 253,094 mi