When we look at our planet's satellite, doesn't it seem much closer than it actually is? The distance between the Earth and the moon is something that has been measured for many years to gain a better understanding of the universe. To help us visualize the distance between our planet and its satellite, we'll use some images and explanations to make it easier to understand.
In this article we are going to show you what is the distance from the Earth to the moon and how to calculate it.
Distance from Earth to Moon
We've probably all heard about the distance between our planet and its satellite many times. Specifically, it's 384.403 kilometers. As you might expect, this distance is somewhat incomprehensible to most people, since we're not used to traveling such vast distances. This number has been repeated so often that it's almost lost its meaning and significance.
It seems like a somewhat inaccurate figure that doesn't reveal any particular information. When we read this number, we might think it represents a great distance between us. However, our brains can't grasp the magnitude of this distance. Because we're used to seeing the moon from Earth and it appears quite large, it can make it seem much closer than it actually is. To better understand this concept, you can read about the nature of the moon as a satellite and its relationship to the distance between it and Earth.
To understand a little about the distance we must look at the first photo of this subheading to see the scale a little more real. When we see the photo we can analyze the problem of assimilating this distance for the human being.
Origin of calculations of the distance from Earth to the moon
The first calculation of the distance between a planet and its satellite was made in 150 BC by Hipparchus. To calculate this distance, he relied on the curvature of the shadow cast by our planet on the moon during a lunar eclipse. At that time, the distance wasn't entirely accurate, as the figure obtained was 348.000 kilometers. Hipparchus's achievement is noteworthy, since with the limited technology available at the time, his error was less than 10% of the actual distance between these two celestial bodies.
Thanks to today's technology, we can calculate this distance with great precision. This is done by measuring the time it takes light to travel from the LiDAR stations on Earth to the retroreflectors placed on the moon. Even so, the distance is such a large number that it's difficult for us to grasp. You can find more information about light and distance in our perspective from the moon.
To give you an idea of ​​the scale, the distance between the Earth and the Moon could encompass all the planets in the solar system . This comparison illustrates the vastness of the distance. Enormous planets like Jupiter and Saturn aren't large enough for their diameters to exceed the distance between them. Furthermore, the presence of other planets near the Moon also helps us understand this scale.
This beautiful image is enough to completely change our perspective on the distance between the moon and the Earth. Understanding this distance also helps us better grasp the gravitational force exerted by our planet, given its size . Another important aspect is considering whether humans have actually reached the moon. You can read about the process of reaching the moon in our article.
Travel to the moon
To get an idea of ​​the enormous distance between these two celestial bodies, we are going to extrapolate something common between us. We are going to simulate a trip from Earth to the moon by car. More or less you can travel on average at 120 km / h in a car so that we are not fined for speeding.
If we decided to travel to the moon by car, it would take us about five months to get there. Keep in mind that this five-month journey would only take place if we didn't stop even once during the entire trip. Interestingly, at this distance, phenomena like earthquakes could be observed differently, which might be useful when analyzing the moon's influence on the tides.
Extrapolating to more distant journeys, such as to the nearest star, it would take us just over four years to travel there. And let's not even talk about visiting our neighboring galaxy, Andromeda. This galaxy is over two million light-years away, so it's best not to even imagine how long it would take if we wanted to go by car.
As you can see, from so much talking about the distance from the Earth to the moon we have created a very insignificant figure and what does not really tell us what it is. I hope that with this information you can better know the distance at which our satellite is.
