The moon stretched to its most distant point from Earth in nearly two decades on Friday, creating what astronomers sometimes call a micromoon.
The moon was 252,706 miles from Earth's center at 2:46 a.m., roughly four hours before the new moon phase begins. This distance marks one of the four largest separations between Earth and its natural satellite during the first half of the 21st century.
The moon won't be this remote again until December 2043.
The distance between Earth and the moon constantly changes because the moon follows an elliptical, not circular, orbit. The moon's farthest orbital point is called apogee, while its closest approach is called perigee. These extreme distances typically happen during new or full moons, when the sun, Earth and moon align. This alignment allows the sun's gravity to stretch or squeeze the moon's orbit.
At the moment of peak distance, the moon will be positioned directly over Western Australia. The spot on Earth farthest from the moon at that time will be in the North Atlantic Ocean, about 930 miles southeast of Bermuda. From that location, the distance to the moon's surface will stretch to approximately 255,600 miles.