Sprint / 60 seconds

How far does the Moon travel in orbit in one minute?

The Moon appears still in the night sky, but its orbital distance adds up quickly.

Moon · mean orbital velocity

One-minute equivalent

about 61.3 km on average

Average replay · not live data0.0 s / 60s

An evenly paced average replay, not a live observation or tracking feed.

Source and calculation

Mean orbital velocity 1.022 km/s × 60

We multiply the Moon's mean orbital velocity of 1.022 km/s in NASA's fact sheet by 60 seconds.

How to read this number

This is a distance based on mean speed; it does not follow the Moon's changing speed along its orbit.

Scope and caveat

Orbital speed changes along the orbit; this uses its mean speed.