How fast does the Moon move across the sky at night?

The Moon moves across the sky at an average rate of approximately 15 degrees per hour. This rate is due to the Moon's orbit around the Earth, as it continuously shifts position in relation to the background stars. As the Earth rotates on its axis, the Moon appears to rise in the east and set in the west, which contributes to this apparent motion.

In a more detailed context, the Moon completes a full orbit around the Earth approximately every 27.3 days. With this orbital period, it shifts its position by about 13 degrees each day relative to the fixed stars. Because the Earth spins at approximately 360 degrees in about 24 hours, the movement of the Moon results in an average value of 15 degrees per hour as the Earth rotates beneath it. This value is essential for various applications, including astronomy and navigation, as it helps observers predict the position of the Moon at any given time during the night.

Other options present rates that are either too slow or too fast compared to the known average movement of the Moon across the night sky.