The Moon is undeniably moving away from the Earth every year, albeit at a slow pace.

While we might perceive the Moon as a steadfast presence in the night sky, a celestial guardian casting sunlight into our nocturnal lives, it appears that our cherished lunar orb is gradually moving away from us.

For ages, humans have gazed up at the Moon and pondered what mysteries it holds. But thanks to the daring explorers and remarkable scientific progress, we have successfully sent people to explore the lunar terrain.

As focus shifts towards the prospect of human habitation on the Moon, concerns arise regarding potential conflicts between nations vying to claim distinct regions of the lunar surface as their own in the event of space colonization.

Contracts are being granted by NASA to fund the development of technology aimed at enabling the construction of roads and habitats on the Moon's surface.

However, prospective Moon settlers should consider the potential challenge of extended travel time for their return journey to Earth.

If I were to suggest that the Moon is gradually moving away from Earth, you may consider me a "luna-tic". However, scientific research indicates that the Moon is, in fact, receding from Earth at a pace of 3.8cm annually.

Contemplating the notion that the Moon is attempting to abandon Earth may not be the most entertaining thought. Nevertheless, NASA confirms that the Moon has been moving away from our planet for some time now, and given that it's approximately 4.5 billion years old, it appears to have been trying to rid itself of us for quite a while.

The installation of reflective panels on the Moon during the 1969 Apollo mission has enabled NASA to measure the distance between Earth and the Moon, leading to the remarkable revelation of the Moon's gradual distancing from us.

Professor Joshua Davies from the Université du Québec à Montréal, along with research associate Margriet Lantink from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and their colleagues from Utrecht University and the University of Geneva, argue that the current phenomenon of the Moon moving away from Earth may not be an accurate indicator of its past behavior.

The team explains that if the Moon's rate of retreat had remained constant, it would have inevitably collided with Earth roughly 1.5 billion years ago. However, this scenario is implausible, given that the Moon is three times older than that.

The scientific explanation involves the concept of "Milankovitch cycles," which refer to subtle variations in the Earth's orbital path around the Sun, altering the amount of sunlight reaching our planet.

These cyclical fluctuations can significantly impact the Earth's climate and leave distinct markers in geological formations. Scientists can analyze ancient sediment to determine the Earth's "wobble" and calculate the Moon's distance from Earth during distant periods of time.

Their research revealed that approximately 2.46 billion years ago, the Moon was situated roughly 60,000 kilometers closer to Earth than its current location, resulting in a significantly shorter day length of approximately 17 hours.