What is the temperature on the moon when it's facing the sun and what is it on the dark side?

Question

...and what side were the astronauts on and what temperature was it then?

Answer 1

At lunar noon, it is about 120 degrees Centigrade (248 degrees F) and at end of night about -150 degrees Centigrade (-238 degrees F)

The Apollo astronauts only explored the side with light, although it was just after sunrise. (Keep in mind that lunar daytime is about 14 earth days, since the entire cycle is about 28) Anyway, it was around 90 - 100 degrees C or so while they explored. It was planned this way, so they wouldn't be subjected to the far extremes.

Answer 2

The dark side changes as the moon goes around earth,, at a new moon the dark side is facing us. The other side of the moon, which we do not see is lighted when the near side is dark.
The astronauts all landed on the lighted area of the moon so they could see what they were doing. None landed on the far side although all orbited the moon and looked at the other side before and after landing.
http://www.solarviews.com/eng/moon.htm says
"Mean surface temperature (day), 107°C. Mean surface temperature (night), -153°C"
so just above the boiling point of water at earth's surface in the day and much colder than dry ice (-78C) at night

Answer 3

The temperature on the moon is zero. they put thermometers but they all floated away. The side facing the sun is a balmy 80 degrees though and that is where the astronauts are. As the moon rotates the astronauts must stay in the lit section or they will die from the cold that will shock their body. So they run and run to always be in the lit section or they will die. Monsters live on the dark side.

Answer 4

The temperature of the Moon during the day is hotter than the day time temperature on Earth. If you were camping on the Moon, you could use the Sun's heat to cook your food. You could even boil water since the temperature on the Moon at noon is above the boiling point of water (100 degrees Celsius).
If you were to spend the night on the Moon (you might as well because it's a long trip home to Earth), you'd have to have a warm sleeping bag, because temperatures reach a low of -173 degrees Celsius! An average winter on Earth might bring temperatures of 5 degrees Celsius so -173 degrees is really cold!


Submitted by Sean (age 8, Wisconsin, USA)
(August 6,1997)

Answer 5

The astronauts all landed on the near side of the moon (there is no "dark" side, all areas of the moon get sunlight).

They landed on the near side (the side facing Earth) so that there was direct line-of-sight communications. All of the 6 missions landed during daylight at their location, and all missions landed within 26 degrees of the equator.

At noon at the equator, the surface temperature is about 380 degrees Kelvin, at midnight on the equator its about 100 degrees Kelvin.

Answer 6

The temperature on the moon varies from -387 Fahrenheit (-233 Celsius), at night, to 253 Fahrenheit (123 Celsius) during the day. .

Answer 7

around 100 degree celsius when facing the sun and around minus 200 degree celsius when on the dark side
to know what side the astronauts were on, you'd better visit www.nasa.gov

Answer 8

Moon is -233F low and 212F high

Answer 9

there is no dark side of the moon, its all dark.