The Moon is slowly drifting away from Earth — about 3.8 cm per year
Some trivia is so bizarre it forces you to rethink your entire understanding of the world. Check out the fact below, see how others reacted, and scroll down to dive into the verified science and history behind it.
Tidal friction from the Moon's gravity transfers rotational energy from Earth to the Moon, gradually pushing the Moon into a larger orbit. Currently the Moon recedes about 3.8 centimetres per year — confirmed by laser ranging experiments using reflectors left by Apollo missions. When the Moon formed 4.5 billion years ago, it was about 16 times closer to Earth and appeared roughly 16 times larger in the sky. In about 600 million years, the Moon will be too far away for total solar eclipses — it will appear too small to fully cover the Sun.
We experience the Moon as a fixed feature of the sky. Learning it is slowly leaving — measurably, provably, with lasers — and that total solar eclipses are a temporary coincidence of our particular geological moment in time gives the night sky an unexpected transience.
The Science Behind It
Tidal friction from the Moon's gravity transfers rotational energy from Earth to the Moon, gradually pushing the Moon into a larger orbit. Currently the Moon recedes about 3.8 centimetres per year — confirmed by laser ranging experiments using reflectors left by Apollo missions. When the Moon formed 4.5 billion years ago, it was about 16 times closer to Earth and appeared roughly 16 times larger in the sky. In about 600 million years, the Moon will be too far away for total solar eclipses — it will appear too small to fully cover the Sun.
Why Your Brain Finds This Hard to Believe
Sources & Verification
OddlyHuman Editors
VerifiedWritten and fact-checked by the OddlyHuman Behavioral Science Team. We verify all psychological, sociological, and historical claims against peer-reviewed journals, primary sources, and established encyclopedias to bring you accurate insights.
Read our Editorial Guidelines →“The Moon is moving away from Earth at 3.8 cm/year, confirmed by Apollo laser reflectors. In 600 million years, it'll be too far for total solar eclipses. We're in a lucky window. 🌕 #OddlyHuman”