The temperature on the moon varies greatly depending on whether it’s in direct sunlight or not. Here’s a breakdown:

• Daytime: When the moon’s surface is facing the sun, temperatures can soar to a scorching 250°F (121°C).
• Nighttime: On the other hand, when the moon is in shadow, temperatures plummet to a frigid -208°F (-133°C).

This extreme temperature difference is due to the moon’s lack of a significant atmosphere, which means there’s nothing to trap heat or regulate temperatures.

Actually, it’s not that cold — at least, not all the time. As on Earth, the temperature of the moon’s surface changes depending on whether sunlight hits it. In fact, these temperature fluctuations can be quite dramatic.

“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. The moon’s temperature can range from about minus 148 degrees Fahrenheit to over 212 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 100 degrees Celsius to over 100 degrees Celsius), Monnier said.

Although Earth and the moon are roughly the same distance from the sun — about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) — a few factors influence why their temperatures are so different. First, Earth has an atmosphere, which traps heat and maintains moderate, habitable temperatures on our planet. The moon doesn’t have an atmosphere, leaving it vulnerable to the full heat of the sun, Monnier said

The moon’s soil, known as regolith, is “a really good insulator,” Monnier said. So, in both light and darkness, the moon’s surface retains heat or cold. These temperature changes vary all over the moon’s surface. Although the regolith is a good insulator, it’s not a good conductor. During the Apollo 15 and 17 missions, the crew took heat flow measurements below the surface. The average temperature 14 inches (35 centimeters) below the surface of the sites measured was between 40 and 45 kelvins warmer than the surface, indicating that the moon’s subsurface doesn’t endure the same temperature extremes.

Several exciting Moon missions are planned for the near future:

• NASA’s Artemis Program: This ambitious program aims to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon.
• Artemis 2: Targeted for no earlier than April 2026, this mission will send astronauts on a flyby of the Moon, marking a significant step towards crewed lunar landings.
• Artemis 3: Planned for mid-2027, this mission will land the first woman and the first person of color on the lunar surface.
• Other Notable Missions:
• Chandrayaan-3 (India): This mission successfully landed a rover on the Moon in 2023, demonstrating India’s growing space capabilities.
• SpaceX’s dearMoon Mission: A private mission led by Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa, aiming to take a group of artists on a circumlunar journey.
  These missions represent a renewed global interest in lunar exploration, with the potential for scientific breakthroughs, technological advancements, and even the establishment of a permanent lunar base.
  Disclaimer: Mission timelines and details can change, so it’s always a good idea to check for the latest updates from the space agencies involved.

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