Without an atmosphere, the Moon can’t trap or distribute heat. During lunar day, temperatures can reach 127°C. At night, they plummet to -173°C. There’s no moderation, no insulation. Rocks expand and contract violently. Over time, this breaks the surface into fine dust.
This matters because materials must survive extreme stress. Space suits, rovers, and habitats must handle brutal thermal cycling. Engineering failure isn’t an option.
It also shapes the Moon’s geology. Temperature-driven cracking helps create regolith. Even without weather, erosion still happens.
A lunar day-night cycle lasts about 29.5 Earth days. That’s weeks of baking followed by weeks of deep freeze.
NASA [nasa.gov]