According to the Surya-siddhanta, the distance from the Earth globe to the moon is about 258,000 miles. This is in reasonable agreement and close to the modern distance of 238,000 miles from Earth.

The Moon is not further away from Earth than the Sun.

The Moon is higher than the Sun but technically the Sun is further away from Earth than the Moon according to Srila Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, is he right?

This distance between Earth and the Moon is explained differently in the Surya-siddhanta, translated by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura Prabhupada, the Spiritual Master of Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. 

There it is claimed by Srila Bhaktisiddhanta that according to Surya-siddhanta the distance from Earth to the Moon is 258,000 miles, which is close to the modern day distance of 238,000 miles.

The fact is the Moon is way closer to Earth than the Sun as explained here by Sadaputa dasa ACBSP-

Excerpt from the book 'Vedic Cosmography and Astronomy' by the late Sadaputa dasa ACBSP (Richard L. Thompson PhD ) who is the main inspiration behind the TOVP (Temple of Vedic Planetarium) in Mayapur. 

Q: The Vedic literature says the moon is higher than the sun. How can this be? 

A: In Chapter 22 of the Fifth Canto, the heights of the planets above the earth are given, and it is stated that the moon is 100,000 yojanas (800,000 miles) above the rays of the sun. 

In this chapter, the word "above" means "above the plane of Bhu-mandala." It does not refer to distance measured radially from the surface of the earth globe. 

In Section 4.b in my book we show that if the plane of Bhu-mandala corresponds to the plane of the ecliptic, then it indeed makes sense to say that the moon is higher than the sun relative to Bhu-mandala. 

This does not mean that the moon is farther from the earth globe than the sun. 

For example, if point A is in a plane, B is 1,000 miles above the plane, and C is 2,000 miles above the plane, we cannot necessarily conclude that C is further from A than B is. 

Q: In SB 8.10.38p, Srila Prabhupada says, "The sun is supposed to be 93,000,000 miles above the surface of the earth, and from the Srimad-Bhagavatam we understand that the moon is 1,600,000 miles above the sun. 

Therefore the distance between the earth and the moon would be about 95,000,000 miles." Doesn't this plainly say that the moon is farther from the earth than the sun? 

A: In the summary at the end of Chapter 23 of the Fifth Canto Srila Prabhupada says, "The distance from the sun to the earth is 100,000 yojanas." At 8 miles per yojana, this comes to 800,000 miles. 

We suggest that when Srila Prabhupada cites the modern Western earth-sun distance of 93,000,000 miles, he is simply making the point that if you put together the Bhagavatam and modern astronomy you get a contradictory picture. 

His conclusion is that one should simply accept the Vedic version, and he was not interested in personally delving into astronomical arguments in detail. 

Q: What is your justification for going into these arguments in detail? 

A: Srila Prabhupada ordered some of his disciples to do this for the sake of preaching. 

In a letter to Svarupa Damodara dasa dated April 27, 1976, Srila Prabhupada said, "Now our Ph.D.'s must collaborate and study the 5th Canto to make a model for building the Vedic Planetarium.... So now all you Ph.D.'s must carefully study the details of the 5th Canto and make a working model of the universe. 

If we can explain the passing seasons, eclipses, phases of the moon, passing of day and night, etc., then it will be very powerful propaganda." 

In this regard, he specifically mentioned Svarupa Damodara dasa, Sadaputa dasa, and Madhava dasa in a letter to Dr. Wolf-Rottkay dated October 14, 1976.

Q: If the distance from the earth to the sun is 800,000 miles, how can this be reconciled with modern astronomy? 

A: This distance is relative to the plane of Bhu-mandala. The distance from the center of Jambudvipa to the orbit of the sun around Manasottara Mountain is 15,750,000 yojanas according to the dimensions given in the Fifth Canto. 

This distance lies in the plane of Bhu-mandala and comes to 126,000,000 miles at 8 miles per yojana and 78,750,000 miles at 5 miles per yojana. 

Since values for the yojana ranging from 5 to 8 miles have been used in India, this distance is compatible with the modern earth-sun distance of 93,000,000 miles. 

Q: Using radar and lasers, scientists have recently obtained very accurate estimates of the earth-moon distance. 

This distance is about 238,000 miles from Earth to the Moon. How do you reconcile this with Vedic calculations? 

A: According to the Surya-siddhanta, the distance from the earth globe to the moon is about 258,000 miles (see Section 1.e). This is in reasonable agreement with the modern value. 

Q: If the moon is 258,000 miles from the earth globe, then how can it be 100,000 yojanas above the sun? This seems hard to understand, even if the latter distance is relative to the plane of Bhu-mandala. 

A: This question is answered in detail in Section 4.b in my Book, and the reader should specifically study Tables 8 and 9 in that section. 

Briefly, we propose the following: 

The heights of the planets from Bhu-mandala correspond to the maximum heights of the planets from the plane of the ecliptic in the visible solar system. 

This correspondence is approximate because the Fifth Canto gives the viewpoint of the demigods, whereas in modern astronomy and the jyotisha shastra the viewpoint is that of ordinary humans. 

In summary, we propose that the Fifth Canto description of the universe is broadly compatible with what we see. 

The differences is possible due to the difference in viewpoint between human beings and demigods but that is speculation. 

If true, from the higher-dimensional perspective of a demigod, Bhu-mandala should be directly visible, and the relative positions of Bhu-mandala, the sun, and the moon should appear as described in the Fifth Canto.*