According to astronomers’ calculations, the average distance between Earth and the Moon is approximately 384,000 km. So, how many days on Earth equal one day on the Moon?
1 day on the Moon equals 29 days on Earth.
Throughout human history in space exploration, landing on the Moon has always been regarded as a monumental achievement. Whether it was the Apollo Moon landing program or the recent Chang’e lunar exploration project, astronauts have always viewed the Moon as a mysterious and fascinating destination. However, while we pursue the beauty of the Moon, few consider a crucial question: When astronauts spend one day on the Moon, how long has it been on Earth? The answer to this question is 29 days.
The average distance between Earth and the Moon is about 384,000 km, and the time it takes for the Moon to orbit Earth is approximately 27.3 days. This means that the Moon takes longer to complete its orbit around Earth than Earth takes to rotate on its axis. In other words, while Earth completes one rotation every 24 hours, the Moon experiences a sunrise approximately every 709 hours.
The reason for this difference is primarily due to the differing rotational speeds of the two celestial bodies. Earth completes one rotation in 24 hours, while the Moon takes 27.3 days to complete one rotation. Because the Moon rotates slowly, when astronauts spend one day on the Moon, nearly a month has passed on Earth.
After astronauts spend one day on the Moon, they will discover that a significant amount of time has passed on Earth. For astronauts working in space, they need to adapt to the time differences on different planets and adjust their biological rhythms to acclimate to the new environment.
