By Gary S. Vasilash

As you’ve probably noticed, when you look at the Moon overhead, it generally appears to be about the size of a dime. When you look at it near the horizon, it appears massive. Which might lead you to believe that the Moon radically changes its distance with the Earth.

It doesn’t.

The Moon is 238,855 miles from the Earth whether it appears so close that you think you could drive to it or not.

This astronomical moment leads to General Motors’ announcement that it has increased the capability of its Super Cruise advanced driver assistance system that permits hands-free driving to 750,000 miles of roadways in the U.S. and Canada.

It claims that it is nearly six times the capability of any other hands-free driver assistance system available in North America.

It also says, “750,000 miles is like traveling one way from Earth to the Moon three times” [emphasis not added, its GM’s].

GM is adding the capability to handle the new roads via over-the-air updates to Super Cruise vehicles that are currently roaming the road except for three: the Cadillac CT6, Chevrolet Bolt EUV and Cadillac XT6.

Why are those three left out?

A GM spokesperson tells us that it is because those three vehicles have an older electrical system that’s incapable of handling the update.

Still, they are capable of providing some 400,000 miles of roads, so that’s a trip to the Moon and about 70% of the way back.

Not bad at all.