At the speed of light to the Moon: about 1.3 seconds
At the speed of light (1,079,252,849 km/h) it would take about 1.3 seconds to get to the Moon – at the average distance of 384,400 km, non-stop and in a straight line.
Because the distance keeps changing, the travel time ranges from 1.2 seconds (closest) to 1.4 seconds (farthest).
For comparison
A radio signal to the Moon and back takes about 2.6 seconds – you can hear that small pause in the Apollo astronauts' radio calls.
How it is calculated
- Closest distance
- 356,400 km
- Average distance
- 384,400 km
- Farthest distance
- 406,700 km
- Speed
- 1,079,252,849 km/h
- Formula
- Travel time = distance ÷ speed
- Result
- 384,400 km ÷ 1,079,252,849 km/h ≈ 1.3 seconds
Assumption: constant speed in a straight line, with no stops, acceleration or braking. Real spacecraft fly curved paths and use the gravity of planets.
Good to know: Moon
The Moon is our closest neighbour and the only other world humans have walked on (Apollo 11, 1969). Its orbit is slightly elliptical, so the distance varies between about 356,000 and 407,000 km. It is also drifting away from Earth by about 3.8 cm every year.