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On the Moon’s airless surface, temperatures swing dramatically depending on whether a region is in direct sunlight or shade. A sunlit spot can soar to about 121 °C (250 °F), while shadowed areas can plummet to -157 °C (-250 °F). The lunar poles are even colder; the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter recorded lows of -238 °C (-396 °F) at the south pole and -247 °C (-413 °F) at the north pole—temperatures rivaling those of Pluto’s surface.
Unlike Earth, the Moon has no atmosphere to redistribute heat. Solar radiation strikes the surface and heats it directly, but without atmospheric gases to absorb and re‑emit that energy, the heat remains localized. Consequently, sunlit regions reach scorching temperatures while shaded areas quickly lose heat to the vacuum.
Earth’s atmosphere traps outgoing infrared radiation in a process known as the greenhouse effect. Solar energy passes through the atmosphere, warms the surface, and is then reflected back toward space. Atmospheric gases absorb and re‑emit this energy, maintaining a relatively stable temperature even on the night side. The Moon, lacking an atmosphere, allows reflected energy to escape directly into space, so shadows become frigid.
These extreme temperatures posed significant challenges for astronauts and equipment. The Apollo missions employed passive thermal control—referred to as the “barbecue roll”—where the spacecraft slowly spun to average temperatures. On the lunar surface, astronauts wore heavy spacesuits with built‑in temperature regulation to prevent overheating in sunlight or freezing in shade.
