How long would it take to drive to the Moon?
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The Moon is on average about 384,400 km (238,855 miles) away, and its oval orbit makes that range from roughly 357,000 to 407,000 km. Driving nonstop at 100 km/h, that's about 3,844 hours: roughly 160 days, or more than five months. At 60 mph it would be about 3,980 hours, or around 166 days. The Apollo astronauts got there in about three days.
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Transcript
- Sef How long would it take to drive to the Moon? I packed snacks!
- Tiggy The Moon is about 384,000 km away.
- Tiggy Say you drive at highway speed, 100 kilometers an hour, and never stop.
- Sef So, a week?
- Tiggy About 160 days. That's more than five months!
- Tiggy The Apollo astronauts got there in about three days.
- Sef Are we there yet?
Sources
- NASA Space Place: How Far Away Is the Moon? spaceplace.nasa.gov
- NASA NSSDC: Moon Fact Sheet nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov
- Royal Museums Greenwich: How far away is the Moon? rmg.co.uk
- ESA: The Moon sci.esa.int
- NASA: Apollo 11 Mission Overview nasa.gov
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