So, what does it mean that the moon's orbit is elliptical? Simply put, it means that the distance between the Earth and the moon varies throughout the month. At its closest point, called perigee, the moon is about 225,622 miles (363,104 kilometers) away, and at its farthest point, or apogee, it's about 252,088 miles (405,696 kilometers) away.
Now, you might be wondering, why should I care about the moon's distance from Earth? Well, my curious reader, understanding the moon's orbit can actually help us appreciate the beauty of astronomy and the wonders of our universe. Plus, it's just plain cool to think about how far away that bigrock is!
