Relative locations of earth, sun, moon

In summary, the Earth is 93 million miles away from the Sun and 238,855 miles away from the Moon. The relative position of the Earth, Sun, and Moon affects tides, with the Moon's gravitational pull causing high and low tides. A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon blocks the Sun's light, and this can only happen during a new moon phase. The tilt of the Earth's axis causes the change in seasons as it orbits around the Sun. The Moon always shows the same side to Earth due to synchronous rotation.
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daveed
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Hi all,

I looked through the reference library post, but didn't see anything about this. Is there a website that contains the relative locations of the sun, earth, and moon over time? moon phases aside - I would actually like to know the exact locations of the Earth and moon (in say, sun-centric coordinates). NASA and other space agencies must know this information; I just don't know where to go around looking for it!

Does anyone have any ideas?
 
Astronomy news on Phys.org

1. What is the relative distance between the Earth, Sun, and Moon?

The Earth is approximately 93 million miles away from the Sun, while the Moon is about 238,855 miles away from Earth.

2. How does the relative position of the Earth, Sun, and Moon affect tides?

The position of the Moon relative to the Earth and Sun is what primarily determines the tides on Earth. The Moon's gravitational pull causes the oceans on the side closest to the Moon to bulge, creating high tide, while the oceans on the opposite side experience low tide.

3. What is a solar eclipse and how does it occur?

A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sun, blocking the Sun's light and casting a shadow on Earth. This can only happen during a new moon phase when the Moon is directly aligned with the Sun and Earth.

4. How does the tilt of the Earth's axis affect the seasons?

The Earth's axis is tilted at an angle of approximately 23.5 degrees. This tilt is what causes the change in seasons as the Earth orbits around the Sun. When the Northern Hemisphere is tilted towards the Sun, it experiences summer, while the Southern Hemisphere experiences winter. As the Earth continues its orbit, the tilt causes the opposite seasons in each hemisphere.

5. Why do we always see the same side of the Moon?

The Moon is in a synchronous rotation with the Earth, meaning it takes the same amount of time to rotate on its axis as it does to revolve around the Earth. This results in the same side of the Moon always facing Earth, while the other side remains hidden from our view.

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