Our Moon reaches perigee, (closest distance from Earth), for this orbit on Friday June 23rd. At that time the Moon will be at a distance of 28.06 Earth diameters (357,937 km or 222,412 miles) from the Earth.
Does our Moon actually go around the Earth as this graphic shows? From our perspective on the Earth the Moon appears to circle around the Earth. However, in reality, the Moon orbits the Sun together with the Earth*
On the day of the perigee Moon the 28-day old very thin waning crescent Moon is above the eastern horizon about 30 minutes to an hour before the Sun rises. This perigee Moon is less than 16 hours before it reaches new Moon phase. The Dwarf Planet Ceres will not be visible but it is where the graphic indicates it to be.
*Click here to read my 2006 Scope on the Sky column “The Real Shape of the Moon’s Orbit”. (PDF)
Read this very informative article about the Earth-Moon system and their orbital motions, written by Joe Hanson. “Do We Orbit the Moon?”
Click here to go to the Qué tal in the Current Skies web site for monthly observing information, or here to go to bobs-spaces.
