Moon Distances from Earth - 2003

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)
23rd Jan 2003 22:36 369,863 km 231,164 mi
19th Feb 2003 16:23 364,823 km 228,014 mi
19th Mar 2003 19:08 359,804 km 224,878 mi
17th Apr 2003 05:02 357,153 km 223,221 mi
15th May 2003 15:44 357,453 km 223,408 mi
12th Jun 2003 23:24 360,437 km 225,273 mi
10th Jul 2003 22:09 365,167 km 228,229 mi
6th Aug 2003 14:09 369,468 km 230,918 mi
31st Aug 2003 18:39 367,955 km 229,972 mi
28th Sep 2003 05:52 362,852 km 226,783 mi
26th Oct 2003 11:24 358,555 km 224,097 mi
23rd Nov 2003 23:10 356,811 km 223,007 mi
22nd Dec 2003 11:44 358,330 km 223,956 mi

Furthest from Earth (Apogee)

Moon distance table - Furthest away (Apogee)
Date Time Distance (Km) Distance (miles)
11th Jan 2003 00:42 404,383 km 252,739 mi
7th Feb 2003 22:00 404,591 km 252,869 mi
7th Mar 2003 16:39 405,414 km 253,384 mi
4th Apr 2003 04:42 406,228 km 253,893 mi
1st May 2003 07:55 406,529 km 254,081 mi
28th May 2003 13:16 406,150 km 253,844 mi
25th Jun 2003 02:30 405,201 km 253,251 mi
22nd Jul 2003 19:39 404,290 km 252,681 mi
19th Aug 2003 14:21 404,063 km 252,539 mi
16th Sep 2003 09:18 404,678 km 252,924 mi
14th Oct 2003 02:17 405,666 km 253,541 mi
10th Nov 2003 11:49 406,290 km 253,931 mi
7th Dec 2003 11:48 406,289 km 253,931 mi