Moon Distances from Earth - 2009

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)
10th Jan 2009 10:57 357,503 km 223,439 mi
7th Feb 2009 20:15 361,503 km 225,939 mi
7th Mar 2009 15:16 367,043 km 229,402 mi
2nd Apr 2009 02:15 370,050 km 231,281 mi
28th Apr 2009 06:17 366,064 km 228,790 mi
26th May 2009 03:38 361,168 km 225,730 mi
23rd Jun 2009 10:33 358,020 km 223,763 mi
21st Jul 2009 20:08 357,460 km 223,413 mi
19th Aug 2009 04:51 359,628 km 224,768 mi
16th Sep 2009 07:48 364,033 km 227,521 mi
13th Oct 2009 12:16 369,034 km 230,646 mi
7th Nov 2009 07:34 368,871 km 230,544 mi
4th Dec 2009 14:26 363,461 km 227,163 mi

Furthest from Earth (Apogee)

Moon distance table - Furthest away (Apogee)
Date Time Distance (Km) Distance (miles)
23rd Jan 2009 00:20 406,094 km 253,809 mi
19th Feb 2009 17:04 405,095 km 253,184 mi
19th Mar 2009 13:17 404,259 km 252,662 mi
16th Apr 2009 09:14 404,192 km 252,620 mi
14th May 2009 02:52 404,882 km 253,051 mi
10th Jun 2009 15:53 405,766 km 253,604 mi
7th Jul 2009 21:23 406,228 km 253,893 mi
4th Aug 2009 00:28 406,043 km 253,777 mi
31st Aug 2009 10:55 405,298 km 253,311 mi
28th Sep 2009 03:29 404,470 km 252,794 mi
25th Oct 2009 23:18 404,207 km 252,629 mi
22nd Nov 2009 20:10 404,770 km 252,981 mi
20th Dec 2009 15:01 405,759 km 253,599 mi