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In contrast, the Lunar distance (LD or ), or Earth–Moon characteristic distance, is a unit of measure in astronomy. More technically, it is the semi-major axis of the geocentric lunar orbit . The average lunar distance is approximately 385,000 km (239,000 mi), or 1.28 light-seconds ; this is roughly 30 times Earth's diameter .
Modern Lunar Laser Ranging data can be fit with a 1 cm weighted rms residual. The center of Earth to center of Moon distance is computed by a program that numerically integrates the lunar and planetary orbits accounting for the gravitational attraction of the Sun, planets, and a selection of asteroids. [36] [23]
In celestial navigation, lunar distance, also called a lunar, is the angular distance between the Moon and another celestial body. The lunar distances method uses this angle and a nautical almanac to calculate Greenwich time if so desired, or by extension any other time. That calculated time can be used in solving a spherical triangle.
Average distance from the Sun — Earth: 1.00 — Average distance of Earth's orbit from the Sun (sunlight travels for 8 minutes and 19 seconds before reaching Earth) — Mars: 1.52 — Average distance from the Sun — Jupiter: 5.2 — Average distance from the Sun — Light-hour: 7.2 — Distance light travels in one hour — Saturn: 9.5 ...
The most significant improvement of position observations of the Moon have been the Lunar Laser Ranging measurements, obtained using Earth-bound lasers and special retroreflectors placed on the surface of the Moon. The time-of-flight of a pulse of laser light to one of the retroreflectors and back gives a measure of the Moon's distance at that ...
A variety of concepts for lunar agriculture have been proposed, [27] including the use of minimal artificial light to maintain plants during the night and the use of fast-growing crops that might be started as seedlings with artificial light and be harvestable at the end of one lunar day. [28]
The disagreement of the work with Archimedes seems to be due to its taking an Aristarchus statement that the lunisolar diameter is 1/15 of a "meros" of the zodiac to mean 1/15 of a zodiacal sign (30°), unaware that the Greek word "meros" meant either "portion" or 7°1/2; and 1/15 of the latter amount is 1°/2, in agreement with Archimedes ...
Measurements from laser reflectors left during the Apollo missions (lunar ranging experiments) have found that the Moon's distance increases by 38 mm (1.5 in) per year (roughly the rate at which human fingernails grow).