Moon Distances from Earth - 2011

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)
22nd Jan 2011 00:17 362,774 km 226,734 mi
19th Feb 2011 07:31 358,238 km 223,899 mi
19th Mar 2011 19:15 356,574 km 222,859 mi
17th Apr 2011 06:06 358,097 km 223,811 mi
15th May 2011 11:32 362,151 km 226,344 mi
12th Jun 2011 01:49 367,217 km 229,511 mi
7th Jul 2011 13:50 369,605 km 231,003 mi
2nd Aug 2011 20:56 365,784 km 228,615 mi
30th Aug 2011 17:29 360,871 km 225,544 mi
28th Sep 2011 00:57 357,561 km 223,476 mi
26th Oct 2011 12:19 357,048 km 223,155 mi
23rd Nov 2011 23:14 359,680 km 224,800 mi
22nd Dec 2011 02:51 364,779 km 227,987 mi

Furthest from Earth (Apogee)

Moon distance table - Furthest away (Apogee)
Date Time Distance (Km) Distance (miles)
10th Jan 2011 05:41 405,014 km 253,134 mi
6th Feb 2011 23:20 405,952 km 253,720 mi
6th Mar 2011 08:04 406,595 km 254,122 mi
2nd Apr 2011 09:16 406,648 km 254,155 mi
29th Apr 2011 18:10 406,015 km 253,759 mi
27th May 2011 10:02 404,969 km 253,106 mi
24th Jun 2011 04:13 404,232 km 252,645 mi
21st Jul 2011 22:44 404,317 km 252,698 mi
18th Aug 2011 16:16 405,129 km 253,206 mi
15th Sep 2011 06:13 406,045 km 253,778 mi
12th Oct 2011 11:26 406,431 km 254,019 mi
8th Nov 2011 13:07 406,195 km 253,872 mi
6th Dec 2011 01:06 405,445 km 253,403 mi