The Moon

Like other moons and planets, our moon does not give off any of its own light or heat, so it can only be seen when it is being lit up by the Sun. This reflected light can then shine down onto our planet and affect how wildlife behave at night. 

Although the Moon receives a similar amount of sunlight as Earth, it has no atmosphere and so there is no weather to even out the temperatures. So the part of the Moon that faces the Sun can reach as high as 127°C, but the part that is facing away from the Sun can get as cold as -173°C. 

Instead, the Moon has a very thin exosphere that has a density vastly lower than Earth's atmosphere and contains elements like helium, neon and argon.

When rocks or other objects crash into the Moon, they create craters, hole-like structures in the surface. Craters have been found in many sizes on the Moon from 300km across down to a fraction of a millimetre in diameter. We see far fewer craters on Earth because our weather causes them to be covered in dirt, water, or ice, and they can also be worn away by wind and weather. The Moon has no atmosphere to slow down the rocks nor create the weather needed to cover / wear away the craters. 

Over a long period of time, all of the moons and planets in the solar system are hit by rocks, meteors and other objects that are floating in space. 

Even though the Earth has craters, our planet doesn't seem to have nearly as many as the Moon. 

Why do you think this is?