The moon at apogee
The distance of the moon from Earth always changes because the moon orbits in an elliptical orbit around Earth.
The moon reaches apogee, meaning it reaches the farthest point from Earth in its elliptical orbit. Here, “apogee” comes from two words: “apo,” meaning “far away,” and “geo,” meaning “Earth.”
The moon appears slightly smaller than usual when it reaches apogee.
However, these farthest distances vary every time the moon reaches apogee. This is because the orbit of the moon wobbles due to the gravitational perturbations of the sun.
The full moon at apogee
If a full moon occurs at or near apogee, then it’s called a micromoon. A micromoon is about 7% smaller than a regular full moon and about 14% smaller than a supermoon.
How often does the moon reach apogee?
The moon reaches apogee once every anomalistic month, or 27.555 days. The moon takes 27.555 days to complete one orbit around Earth with respect to the perigee—the nearest point to Earth in its orbit. This is called an anomalistic month.
Now, the moon takes 27.322 days to complete one orbit around Earth with respect to the background stars. This is called a sidereal month. So an anomalistic month is slightly longer than a sidereal month.
When will be the next lunar apogee in 2026?
The moon will reach its next apogee on January 13, 2026, at 20:48 UTC (3:48 p.m. EST).
Distance of the moon: The distance of the apogean moon from Earth will be 405,437 kilometers. The average distance of the moon from Earth is 384,400 kilometers.
Apparent size of the moon: The apparent size of the apogean moon will be 29.47 arcminutes in diameter. The average apparent size of the moon is 31 arcminutes in diameter. So the apogean moon in January 2026 will be 4.9% smaller than usual.
Moon phase: The apogean moon will be in the waning crescent phase and 22% illuminated.
When will the moon be farthest from Earth in 2026?
The moon will be farthest from Earth on December 11, 2026, at 06:46 UTC, when it will be 406,421 km away. This will be the longest distance between Earth and the moon in 2026.
Lunar apogee in 2026
According to NASA, here are all the dates of lunar apogee in 2026, along with their distances:
| Date | Time (UTC) | Distance (km) | Angular diameter (arcmin) |
|---|---|---|---|
| January 13 | 20:48 | 405437 | 29.47 |
| February 10 | 16:52 | 404577 | 29.54 |
| March 10 | 13:43 | 404385 | 29.55 |
| April 07 | 08:32 | 404974 | 29.51 |
| May 04 | 22:30 | 405843 | 29.44 |
| June 01 | 04:32 | 406369 | 29.41 |
| June 28 | 07:11 | 406267 | 29.41 |
| July 25 | 16:45 | 405549 | 29.47 |
| August 22 | 08:20 | 404644 | 29.53 |
| September 19 | 03:00 | 404217 | 29.56 |
| October 16 | 22:56 | 404639 | 29.53 |
| November 13 | 17:50 | 405619 | 29.46 |
| December 11 | 06:46 | 406421 | 29.40 |
Related article: Lunar perigee 2026: When is the next one?
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