How Strong Is Gravity on the Moon? Value, Formula and Earth Comparison

# How Strong Is Gravity on the Moon? Value, Formula and Earth Comparison

Average surface gravity on the Moon is about 1.62 metres per second squared (m/s²), or 16.5% of Earth’s gravity. That is close to one-sixth of Earth’s standard 9.81 m/s².

An object’s mass stays the same on the Moon, but its weight—the gravitational force acting on that mass—falls to about one-sixth of its Earth weight.

Key Moon-gravity facts

• Surface gravitational acceleration: approximately 1.62 m/s²
• Compared with Earth: about 0.165 g, or 16.5%
• Moon mass: approximately 7.3 × 10²² kg
• Mean Moon radius: approximately 1,740 km
• Result for a 60 kg person: mass remains 60 kg; weight falls from about 589 newtons on Earth to about 97 newtons on the Moon

What does 1.62 m/s² mean?

Near the Moon’s surface, a freely falling object’s downward speed increases by about 1.62 metres per second during each second of fall, before accounting for terrain or an initial push.

The value describes acceleration, not a speed and not a mass. With almost no atmosphere, a hammer and feather dropped together fall at the same rate. Apollo 15 commander David Scott demonstrated this on the Moon in 1971.

How is the Moon’s gravity calculated?

Surface gravitational acceleration can be calculated from the body’s mass and radius:

g = GM/R²

where G is the gravitational constant, M is the Moon’s mass and R is its radius.

Using rounded values:

• G = 6.674 × 10⁻¹¹ m³ kg⁻¹ s⁻²
• M = 7.3 × 10²² kg
• R = 1.74 × 10⁶ m

The calculation gives approximately 1.61 m/s²; more precise inputs give the standard rounded value of 1.62 m/s².

The Moon has only about 1.2% of Earth’s mass. Its smaller radius puts a person closer to its centre, which partly offsets the lower mass, but not enough to produce Earth-like surface gravity.

How much would you weigh on the Moon?

Weight is force, calculated as:

Weight = mass × gravitational acceleration

The “kg equivalent” is familiar scale language. In physics, the person’s true mass remains unchanged, while weight is measured in newtons.

Can you jump six times higher on the Moon?

In an ideal calculation with the same launch speed, jump height is inversely proportional to gravitational acceleration. That suggests a jump could reach about six times the Earth height.

Real astronauts do not achieve a perfect sixfold increase. A pressurized spacesuit restricts movement, the life-support backpack changes balance and lunar soil affects traction. Apollo astronauts often used a controlled hopping gait rather than attempting maximum jumps.

Does the Moon have enough gravity to hold an atmosphere?

The Moon has an extremely thin exosphere, not a dense atmosphere like Earth’s. Low gravity makes it easier for gas particles to escape, especially when they are heated by sunlight or struck by the solar wind.

Gravity is not the only factor. Temperature, molecular mass, magnetic environment and replenishment from the surface also affect whether a world retains gas.

Is gravity identical everywhere on the Moon?

No. The 1.62 m/s² value is an average. Gravity changes slightly with altitude, latitude and subsurface mass distribution.

Dense regions called mass concentrations, or mascons, lie beneath several large impact basins. Spacecraft tracking revealed their gravitational effects, and modern lunar gravity maps help mission planners predict orbits and study the Moon’s interior.

How does Moon gravity compare with other worlds?

Gas giants do not have solid surfaces, so their quoted “surface gravity” is defined at a reference pressure level and should not be mixed uncritically with the gravity of rocky surfaces.

How does the Moon’s gravity affect Earth?

The difference in the Moon’s gravitational pull across Earth produces much of the tidal force that raises ocean tides. The Sun also contributes to tides.

Tidal interaction transfers angular momentum: Earth’s rotation gradually slows, while the Moon recedes by roughly a few centimetres per year. These changes are measured using techniques including lunar laser ranging.

The short answer

Moon gravity is 1.62 m/s²—about one-sixth of Earth’s. You would keep the same mass but experience about 16.5% of your Earth weight, allowing higher jumps while still pulling every dropped object back to the surface.

Update note: This article was substantially revised and recalculated on August 23, 2026, to correct the comparison table and distinguish mass, weight and acceleration.

Sources

• NASA Glenn Research Center, Moon
• NASA Science, Moon Facts
• NASA Science, Top Moon Questions
• NASA, Lunar Parameters