Surface temperature of the moon

Nicholson developed heat-measuring devices to determine the Moon's surface temperature, showing drops of 200°C during periods of its eclipse by the Earth's shadow. They found that the sunlit side of the Moon reaches 117°C and the night side sinks to -169°C. This work highlighted the Moon's poor heat conduction due to its lack of atmosphere and oceans.
 Seth Barnes Nicholson and Edison Pettit United States 1930 Surface temperature of the moon

Nicholson developed heat-measuring devices to determine the Moon's surface temperature, showing drops of 200°C during periods of its eclipse by the Earth's shadow. They found that the sunlit side of the Moon reaches 117°C and the night side sinks to -169°C. This work highlighted the Moon's poor heat conduction due to its lack of atmosphere and oceans.