While Earth and the Moon are the same average distance from the Sun, Earth is way warmer. Let’s explore why!

• Moon's average surface temperature: 255K
• Earth's average surface temperature: 288K

🔍 Reason? Earth's atmosphere! The Moon doesn't really have one.

• What is it?
  • It’s like Earth's natural blanket! Gases in Earth's atmosphere trap energy, making Earth warmer.
• The Culprits! Main gases causing this
  • Carbon dioxide (CO2)
  • Water vapor (H2O)
  • Methane (CH4)
  • Nitrous oxide (N2O)
  • Ozone (O3) - both natural and man-made
• Natural vs. Enhanced
• Natural greenhouse effect: Result of naturally occurring gas levels.
• Enhanced greenhouse effect: More gas = hotter Earth = climate change alert!

While nitrogen (N2) and oxygen (O2) make up about 99.96% of our atmosphere, they're like the silent majority, doing little to contribute to the greenhouse effect!

Greenhouses: Allow sunlight in but block infrared radiation, keeping them warm. But they also trap warm air, unlike our atmosphere.