How far is the Moon from Earth right now?
As of 4 October 2026, the Moon is 373,244 km from Earth (centre to centre). Its distance swings between roughly 363,000 km and 406,000 km every month. Light takes 1.2 s to cross that distance.
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The Moon: where is it right now?
The Moon is 373,244 km from Earth right now. Light takes 1.2 s to get there. ()
Earth’s only natural satellite, about a quarter of Earth’s width. It always shows the same face to us and is slowly drifting away, by about 3.8 cm a year.
The Moon facts
- Distance from Earth now
- 373,244 km
- Light time from Earth
- 1.2 s
- Mean radius
- 1,737.4 km (0.273 × Earth)
- Mass
- 7.346 × 10^22 kg
- Surface gravity
- 1.62 m/s² (0.17 g)
- Escape velocity
- 2.4 km/s
- Rotation period
- 27.32 days
- Orbit around Earth
- 27.32 days
- Average distance (semi-major axis)
- 384,400 km
- Orbital eccentricity
- 0.0405
Positions from NASA JPL Horizons; physical constants from the IAU and JPL. Distances are centre to centre.
The Moon: questions people ask
How long does the Moon take to orbit Earth?
27.32 days relative to the stars (the sidereal month). The cycle of phases, new moon to new moon, takes about 29.5 days.
How big is the Moon compared to Earth?
The Moon’s radius is 1,737.4 km, about 27% of Earth’s. Its surface gravity is 1.62 m/s², about one sixth of Earth’s.