What is the relationship between the moon's surface gravity, lack of an atmosphere, and temperature range?

Temperature variations on Earth are regulated by the atmosphere, which both absorbs and deflects solar heat. For example, on Mercury, the sun has stripped away its atmosphere, leaving the planet's surface 600 degrees warmer than its dark side.

I'm delighted you inquired about gravity. The conventional view holds that a body in space needs more gravity in order to have more atmosphere. While this seems reasonable on the surface, it is untrue.

Titan is a moon that is roughly 50% bigger than our moon. Although it should have very little atmosphere, Titan actually has an atmosphere that is 50% heavier than Earth's.

Pluto's atmosphere is only 1/100,000 of Earth's atmosphere, but it is still 1,000,000 times larger than that of our moon despite Pluto's dwarf planet status.

Lastly, Venus has an atmosphere 92 times larger than Earth's, despite having a mass that is only marginally smaller than Earth's.

These illustrations make it abundantly evident that atmosphere and gravity are not at all related.

The relationship between the moon's surface gravity, lack of an atmosphere, and temperature range is as follows: The moon's surface gravity is about one-sixth that of Earth's, which means objects on the moon weigh less than they do on Earth. The lack of an atmosphere on the moon results in no protection from solar radiation or insulation, leading to extreme temperature variations. During the lunar day, temperatures can reach up to 127 degrees Celsius (260 degrees Fahrenheit), while during the lunar night, temperatures can drop to around -173 degrees Celsius (-280 degrees Fahrenheit). This wide temperature range is due to the absence of an atmosphere to retain heat and distribute it evenly across the surface.