The sun warms the planets in the solar system, but not every cosmic body is blessed by its heat. According to Astronomy, space is a frigid place with a baseline temperature of 2.7 Kelvin or - 454.81 degrees Fahrenheit (-270.45 degrees Celsius), which means that it is at the point where molecular motion stops.
Heat is measured by how fast atoms moves and the hotter they are, the faster they move. On the other hand, atoms in cold places move very slowly that they could even stop moving if temperatures drop so low, like in space.
Getting the Temperature of Space
Professor Ian Crawford from the University of London told Live Science in an email that temperatures in space are measured by observing the intensity of infrared and microwave radiation emitted from surfaces. However, temperatures can also be estimated based on how much heat the surfaces receive when infrared and microwave emissions are absent.
On the other hand, astronomy professor Don Pollacco from the University of Warwick in the UK said that nothing is ever straightforward in astronomy, making cosmic measurements complex. That is because scientists are always observing instead of interacting.
So, there will always be room for refinement despite accurate measuring methods. Pollacco noted that temperatures are just estimates and the numbers calculated depend on how reasonable the assumptions are and how detailed the physical model scientists are using.
Given those things, many people would think that Pluto may be the coldest place in the solar system due to its distance from the sun.
The Coldest Place in the Solar System
NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter is the robotic spacecraft of the space agency that helps scientists to better understand the condition on the lunar surface. In 2009, the orbiter estimated that the coldest place in the solar system could be the shadowed craters at the lunar south pole.
Planetary researchers from the University of Arizona reinforced this claim. According to them, during the 2022 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, the "doubly shadowed" craters in the lunar south pole could indeed be the coldest place in the solar system because it is shielded from direct sunlight and second heating sources, like reflected solar radiation and thermal radiation from warm surfaces.
Furthermore, Pollacco said that the craters have high rims that prevent sunlight from touching the crater floor, making it so cold. The research from the planetary scientists also suggests that these permanently shadowed regions have not seen the light for billions of years and may even contain micro-cold traps and volatile compounds and elements.
The craters are estimated to have 25 Kelvins or -414.67 degrees Fahrenheit (-248.15 degrees Celsius or even colder. That means it is even colder than the freezing Antarctic temperatures. According to the World Meteorological Organization's World Weather & Climate Extremes Archive, the coldest temperature ever recorded in the continent was -128.6 degrees Fahrenheit (-89.2 degrees Celsius).
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