What is actual temperature on Moon?
Lunar surface’s temperature changes depending on whether sunlight hits it
Earth’s natural satellite Moon may seem like a lifeless cold rock but how cold does it actually get on the lunar surface and what is the temperature on it?
In reality, the Moon is not that cold, at least not all the time. Similar to Earth, the moon’s surface temperature changes depending on whether sunlight hits it. Notably, these fluctuations in temperature can be quite dramatic, reported Live Science.
“The temperature just wildly swings from extremely hot to extremely cold,” John Monnier, a professor of astronomy at the University of Michigan, told Live Science.
He said that the moon’s temperature can range from about -148 degrees Fahrenheit to over 212°F (-100 degrees Celsius to over 100°C).
As opposed to the Moon, Earth’s mean surface temperature is 59°F (15°C), but it ranges from about -129°F to 134°F (-89°C to 57°C), according to Nasa.
Moreover, Earth also has vast oceans, which absorb and store energy from the Sun and slowly release it at night.
However, the rocky Moon, by contrast, bakes or chills in light and shadow. Furthermore, a lunar day-night cycle approximates an Earth month, so its surface is exposed to light and darkness for longer periods.
