The Moon orbits Earth in an elliptical path, meaning its distance from Earth varies throughout its orbit. At its closest point, called perigee, the Moon is about 225,623 miles (362,661 kilometers) from Earth. At its furthest point, called apogee, the Moon is about 251,962 miles (405,503 kilometers) from Earth.

It takes the Moon 27.3 days to complete one orbit of Earth. The Moon's average speed in its orbit is about 2,288 miles per hour (3,682 kilometers per hour).

The Moon's orbit also affects Earth's tides. As the Moon moves around Earth, its gravitational pull causes the water in Earth's oceans to rise and fall, creating high tides and low tides.