The Moon is leaving us at 3.8 cm per year

The Moon is slowly leaving Earth at 3.8 centimeters per year, about the speed your fingernails grow. Apollo astronauts left laser reflectors on the Moon in 1969, and NASA still bounces lasers off them to measure distance precisely. Tidal friction from Earth's oceans slows our spin and pushes the Moon outward. 600 million years ago the Moon was much closer and days were 22 hours long. In 50 billion years it would be 50% farther if the Sun did not become a red giant first. We are literally losing the Moon, just very slowly.