The Moon's distance from Earth varies due to its elliptical orbit. On average, the Moon is about 238,855 miles (384,400 kilometers) away from Earth

• At its closest point, called perigee, the Moon is approximately 225,623 miles (363,104 kilometers) from Earth

• At its farthest point, called apogee, it is about 252,088 miles (405,696 kilometers) away

This variation means the distance can differ by about 26,465 miles (42,592 kilometers), roughly four times the diameter of Earth

. To put this in perspective, the Moon is roughly 30 Earth diameters away on average, and it takes light about 1.3 seconds to travel from the Moon to Earth

. Additionally, the Moon is slowly moving away from Earth at a rate of about one inch per year