What is the temperature on the moon?

Answer 1

The Moon has no atmosphere, so there is no "air temperature". The surface temperature varies greatly depending on whether it is in sunlight or not.

The average daytime temperature on the Moon is around 107°C (225°F), but can be as high as 123°C (253°F).

When an area rotates out of the sun, the "nighttime" temperature falls to an average of -153°C (-243°F).

The temperatures near the poles (which get the least solar heating) can fall as low as -233°C (-387°F). This is only 40°C above absolute zero.

However, there are craters (Hermite, Peary and Bosch craters), that never receive any sunlight and their temperatures can be below -249 °C (-416°F, 26 Kelvin) [See related link for more information]

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Although the above statement is true, the average surface temperature of the Moon can be calculated for astrophysical purposes utilizing the relation

TMoon = (RSun/r)^(1/2)*((1-A)/4)^(1/4)*TSun

where 'r' is the average distance from the Moon to the sun, TSun is the average temperature of the sun, RSun is the solar radius, and A is the albedo.

This provides a value of around 274° K ~ 0° C = 32° F (the freezing point of water)

153°C during the night

since the temperature of the Moon in the day can rise to 107°C. The temperature on the moon varies from -387 Fahrenheit (-233 Celsius), at night, to 253 Fahrenheit (123 Celsius) during the day. Because the moon has no atmosphere to block some of the sun's rays or to help trap heat at night, its temperature varies greatly between day and night. The moon is about 45 degrees when it is farthest from the sun.

-153 degrees Celsius when there is no sun

-107 degrees Celsius when there is sun
107 c

Answer 2

On the 'day' side (the side toward the sun: 107° C (225° F)

On the 'night side' (the side away from the sun: -153° C (-243° F)