Book 8, Question 42
Why Does Daylight on the Moon Last About Two Earth Weeks?
Daylight on the Moon lasts about two Earth weeks because the Moon turns very slowly as it circles Earth.
A day on the Moon lasts about two Earth weeks because the Moon spins very slowly! One lunar daytime is roughly 14 Earth days of sunlight, followed by about 14 days of night. A lunar day is not the same as an Earth day!
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Quick answers
How long is a lunar night?
Lunar day and night are each about two Earth weeks long.
How hot and cold does it get?
In full sunlight the surface reaches about 260 degrees Fahrenheit, but in the long darkness it plunges to about minus 280 degrees Fahrenheit.
Sources: NASA Science, NASA Science, NASA Science
More fun facts
- Lunar day and night are each about two Earth weeks long.
- Earth and the Moon are traveling around the Sun together, so it takes a little more than two extra days for sunlight to hit the Moon the same way again.
- During a crescent Moon, it is night on most of the side facing us and day on most of the far side.
- In full sunlight the Moon's surface reaches about 260 degrees Fahrenheit, but in the long darkness it plunges to about minus 280 degrees Fahrenheit.
- A new Moon happens when the far side of the Moon is in full sunlight and the side facing us is having its night.
Sources: NASA Science, NASA Science, NASA Science
Questions kids ask
Would you see a sunrise every morning on the Moon?
No. At any one spot on the Moon, the Sun stays up for about two Earth weeks and then sets for about two weeks.