How can the sun continue to heat the atmosphere at night?

Answer:

Some atmosphere from the terminator pours over the horizon, and there might be a tiny bit of warmth from sunlight reflected off the lunar surface. However, essentially, the sun does not warm the atmosphere at night. This is why, on average, the atmosphere tends to cool all night long, reaching its coldest point just before sunrise.

First answer by ID1164990964. Last edit by Pasha582. Contributor trust: 193 [recommend contributor recommended]. Question popularity: 1 [recommend question].