When it's closer to Earth, it moves faster, and when it's farther away, it moves slower. In one orbit, the Moon travels about 1,423,000 miles around the Earth. Although the Moon orbits the Earth in about 27 days, it takes 29.5 days for the Moon to cycle through all its phases. The time it takes for the Moon to go through a cycle of phases is known as a synodic month. The difference in orbit times occurs because the Moon orbits the Earth as the Earth orbits the Sun.