(Luna, Diana)
Terrestrial Moon
Physical Data
Terrestrial Moon
Physical Data
| Average Distance from the Earth | 384,400 km = 238,900 mi |
| Apogee | 405,500 km |
| Perigee | 363,300 km |
| Orbital Velocity (ave.) | 3,680 km/h |
| Sidereal Period | 27.322 days |
| Synodic Period | 29.531 |
| Rotation Period | 27.322 days |
| Tilt of Rotation Axis | 6.68 degrees |
| Equatorial Diameter | 3,476 km = 2,160 mi |
| Mass | 7.349 x 1022 kg |
| Density (ave.) | 3340 kg/m3 |
| Escape Velocity | 2.38 km/s |
| Surface Temperature (ave.) | Day: 130o C = 266oF = 403K
Night: -180oC = -292oF = 93K |
-Click here for the current phase of the Moon.
-Definition: Astronomical Unit (AU) - the average
distance between the Earth and the Sun.
-Definition: Perigee - the minimum distance
from the Earth.
-Definition: Apogee - the maximum distance from
the Earth.
-Definition: Sidereal Period - the actual time
it takes for the Moon to orbit the Earth, with respect to the background
stars and not the position of the Sun.
-Definition: Synodic Period - The time it takes
for the Moon to go through its phases (New Moon to New Moon).
Shows available at the Heritage Planetarium related to this topic:
-Larry Cat in Space
-Zippy's Great Solar System Adventure
-Exploring the Moon
-Survey of the Planets
Reference: Kaufmann, William J. Universe. Fourth Edition. W. H. Freeman and Company, New York. 1994.