Lunar apogee and perigee

11/15/16

“What are the   furthest and closest distance of the moon from the earth?”

 

One of the most intriguing aspects of the moon is that it has an elliptical orbit. As a result, it will be closer to the Earth at certain time periods and farther at others. And since in science it is useful to classify special and important cases, astronomers have decided to term the closest point of the moon to the Earth as perigee (around 405,696 km) and the furthest point as apogee (around 363,104 km). A most fascinating consequence of these varying orbits is the varying size of the moon in the night sky, which can result in the most elegant phenomena known as supermoons