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Lunar apogee refers to the point in the Moon's elliptical orbit where it is farthest from the Earth. This occurs due to the Moon's orbit not being a perfect circle, which results in varying distances from Earth as the Moon travels along its path. At apogee, gravitational effects are reduced, and this distance can influence aspects such as tidal forces on Earth.

In contrast, the closest point in the Moon's orbit is known as perigee, while the velocity of the Moon varies at different points in its orbit influenced by gravitational forces, reaching its highest speed at perigee rather than apogee. The phases of the Moon relate to its illumination from the Sun but do not describe any specifics of its distance from Earth. Thus, the understanding of lunar apogee revolves primarily around the maximum distance the Moon achieves from Earth during its orbit.