How far is the moon Callisto from Earth?

Question

We need to know for a Physics project about living somewhere besides Earth.

Answer 1

Callisto's distance from the Earth is not fixed. It orbits the planet Jupiter, which itself has a variable distance from Earth. Earth orbits the Sun at an average distance of roughly 150 million km. Jupiter orbits at about 778 million km. Callisto orbits Jupiter at about 1.8 million km. So the closest Callisto can be to Earth is about 778 - 150 - 1.8 = 626 million km, when Jupiter is on the same side of the Sun as the Earth, and Callisto is on the near side of Jupiter. Callisto can be as far as 778 + 150 + 1.8 = 930 million km, when the Earth and Jupiter are on opposite sides of the Sun, and Callisto is on the far side of Jupiter. The values are actually even more extreme, because all three bodies have oval-shaped orbits rather than circular, bringing them potentially further apart and closer together. But this is good enough for an estimate.

Answer 2

It changes all the time. The changes in distance can be quite dramatic as the earth and it (Jupiter) rotate around the sun at different rates