Our Moon reaches perigee, (closest distance from Earth), for this orbit on Friday July 21rst. At that time the Moon will be at a distance of 28.32 Earth diameters (361,236 km or 224,461 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 27-day old very thin waning crescent Moon is above the eastern horizon about 30 minutes to an hour before the Sun rises. 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.
