Skip to main content. Aetna.com works best with Internet Explorer 11 and above, and does not work in compatibility mode. Learn more >. Aetna.com works best with Safari 8 and above. Learn more >. If your browser is in Private mode, pages that use personal or geographic information may not work.
The moon orbits the earth in a little under 28 earth days. It travels at almost 2,290 miles per hour. Coincidentally, the moon's rotation period is also a little under 28 days, meaning the same face points toward the earth during its entire orbit.
It takes the Moon about 29 days to make one orbit about the Earth. In fact, the word month and moon have the same root in English (and just about every other language too.) Also, the Moon's orbit is in the same direction as the Earth's rotation: counter-clockwise when viewed above the plane of the ecliptic.