Moon Distances from Earth - 2004

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)
19th Jan 2004 19:17 362,753 km 226,721 mi
16th Feb 2004 07:33 368,293 km 230,183 mi
12th Mar 2004 04:00 369,472 km 230,920 mi
8th Apr 2004 02:33 364,526 km 227,829 mi
6th May 2004 04:39 359,799 km 224,874 mi
3rd Jun 2004 13:18 357,243 km 223,277 mi
1st Jul 2004 23:03 357,452 km 223,408 mi
30th Jul 2004 06:28 360,336 km 225,210 mi
27th Aug 2004 05:46 365,128 km 228,205 mi
22nd Sep 2004 21:04 369,624 km 231,015 mi
17th Oct 2004 23:44 367,786 km 229,866 mi
14th Nov 2004 13:47 362,328 km 226,455 mi
12th Dec 2004 21:20 357,991 km 223,744 mi

Furthest from Earth (Apogee)

Moon distance table - Furthest away (Apogee)
Date Time Distance (Km) Distance (miles)
3rd Jan 2004 20:09 405,734 km 253,584 mi
31st Jan 2004 13:55 404,844 km 253,028 mi
28th Feb 2004 10:43 404,299 km 252,687 mi
27th Mar 2004 07:04 404,559 km 252,849 mi
24th Apr 2004 00:32 405,434 km 253,396 mi
21st May 2004 12:13 406,281 km 253,926 mi
17th Jun 2004 16:17 406,574 km 254,109 mi
14th Jul 2004 21:19 406,173 km 253,858 mi
11th Aug 2004 09:40 405,260 km 253,288 mi
8th Sep 2004 02:43 404,426 km 252,766 mi
5th Oct 2004 22:09 404,287 km 252,679 mi
2nd Nov 2004 18:04 404,962 km 253,101 mi
30th Nov 2004 11:14 405,928 km 253,705 mi
27th Dec 2004 18:59 406,480 km 254,050 mi