Earth–Moon distance
The Earth–Moon distance is the average space between the centres of the Earth and the Moon.
384,400 kmDistanceWorlds apart
Earth–Moon distance vs Earth–Sun distance
What are they, and what does the difference actually look like?
Two things. One honest scale.
Meet the pair
What these two things are
Earth–Sun distance
The Earth–Sun distance, or astronomical unit, is the standard measure of separation between Earth and the Sun used in astronomy.
1 AUDistanceEarth–Sun distance has about 389 times the distance of Earth–Moon distance.
01
Earth–Moon distance384,400 kmDistance
02
Earth–Sun distance1 AUDistance
Inset ×51.5Earth–Moon distance is too small to see clearly at this scale. The ring marks its position; only the inset is enlarged. A ruler represents the selected distance or unrolled circumference; it is not the physical size of the pictured body.
Measurements, assumptions & sources +
Earth–Moon distance
Average centre-to-centre distance. The Moon’s orbit is not a circle.
NASA — Earth and Moon by the numbers
The marked distance is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Earth–Sun distance
One astronomical unit is exactly 149,597,870,700 m. It is a useful Earth–Sun orbital scale, not the separation at every instant. Light takes about 8 minutes 19 seconds to cross it.
NIST — 2022 CODATA fundamental constants
The marked distance is calibrated. Unmeasured illustration details are representative.
Change the comparison
Put something else beside it.
Measurement details
Why these numbers?
The visual compares distance with distance. The records below preserve each value’s basis and caveats.
Earth–Moon distance
384,400 kmDistance · specified
Average centre-to-centre distance. The Moon’s orbit is not a circle.
Earth–Sun distance
1 AUDistance · definition
One astronomical unit is exactly 149,597,870,700 m. It is a useful Earth–Sun orbital scale, not the separation at every instant. Light takes about 8 minutes 19 seconds to cross it.
- Comparing
- Distance ↔ Distance
- Relative size
- Earth–Sun distance is larger on this measurement by a factor of about 389.
How to read the visual
The labelled spans and stored measurements determine the scale; unmeasured illustration details do not.
There’s always another scale
Follow your curiosity.
SpaceEarth–Moon distance384,400 kmThe Earth–Moon distance is the average space between the centres of the Earth and the Moon.SpaceEarth–Sun distance1 AUThe Earth–Sun distance, or astronomical unit, is the standard measure of separation between Earth and the Sun used in astronomy.
SpaceEarth12,740 kmEarth is the rocky planet on which we live and the third planet from the Sun.
SpaceMoon3,475 kmThe Moon is Earth’s natural satellite and the brightest large object in Earth’s night sky.
SpaceSun1,391,000 kmThe Sun is the star at the centre of the Solar System.SpaceNeptune’s orbital distance30.11 AUNeptune’s orbital distance is the average separation between Neptune and the Sun.Side by side
Another point of view.
