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As humans, we tend to think of coldness in terms of winter weather, chilly temperatures, and snow-covered landscapes. However, the universe is full of places where the cold temperatures are far beyond our imagination.
These places are so cold that they challenge our understanding of the laws of physics and chemistry. They are quite different from the earth’s temperatures. Studying these coldest places in the universe can provide insights into how the universe works and how it came to be.
In this blog post, we will explore the 8 coldest places in the universe ranked by their temperature and learn more about what makes each of them so fascinating.
Let’s get started!
1. The Boomerang Nebula
The Boomerang Nebula, a relatively young planetary nebula, also known as the Bow Tie Nebula, is the coldest place in the universe. The temperature of this nebula is -458 degrees Fahrenheit or 1 degree Kelvin. This is just one degree above absolute zero.
It is located about 5,000 light-years away from Earth in the constellation Centaurus. Planetary nebulae usually form a bright, central star as it expels gas in the last stages of its life.
The temperature is so low that the gases in the nebula have slowed down, making it the perfect laboratory for studying the properties of cold atoms and molecules.
The Boomerang Nebula was discovered in 1980 by astronomers using the CSIRO radio telescope in Australia. Since then, it has been studied extensively by astronomers using a variety of telescopes and instruments.
The Hubble Space Telescope captured an image of the nebula, which revealed its intricate structure and beautiful colors.
2. The Cosmic Microwave Background
The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) is the thermal radiation left over from the Big Bang. It is present throughout the universe and has a temperature of -455°F or 2.725 Kelvin, which is slightly warmer than the Boomerang Nebula.
The CMB is the most important piece of evidence for the Big Bang theory, and studying its properties can tell us a lot about the early universe.
The Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) radiation was first discovered in 1964 by radio astronomers Arno Penzias and Robert Wilson, who were working at the Bell Telephone Laboratories in New Jersey.
They detected a constant background noise that they could not explain. After consulting with physicists at nearby Princeton University, they learned that the noise was the afterglow of the Big Bang.
3. The Oort Cloud
The Oort Cloud is a region of space located beyond the orbit of Neptune, about 1 light-year away from us. It is a vast collection of icy objects, including comets, that orbit the Sun. The temperature in the Oort Cloud is 5 kelvins (minus 450.67°F or minus 268.15 °C), which is much colder than any temperature on the moon.
Studying the Oort Cloud can tell us a lot about the formation and evolution of our solar system.
The Oort Cloud is believed to be the source of many long-period comets that pass through our solar system. It is also thought to contain billions of icy objects, many of which have not yet been discovered.
4. The Kuiper Belt
The Kuiper Belt is another region of space beyond the orbit of Neptune but closer to the Sun than the Oort Cloud. It is also a collection of icy objects, including dwarf planets like Pluto. The temperature in the Kuiper Belt is around -375°F, making it one of the coldest places in the solar system.
Studying the Kuiper Belt can help us understand the formation and evolution of the outer layers of the solar system.
5. The Dark Side of the Moon
The Moon has a day and a night side, with the night side being the colder of the two. The temperature on the dark side of the Moon can be very cold, making it one of the coldest places in the solar system.
At the equator of the moon, the temperature can soar up to 250 degrees Fahrenheit (120 degrees Celsius or 400 Kelvin) during lunar daytime, while during lunar nighttime, it witnesses a steep drop in temperature, reaching as low as -208 degrees Fahrenheit (-130 degrees Celsius or 140 Kelvin).
Interestingly, in specific regions near the moon’s poles, the temperature can plummet to an even more frigid -424 degrees Fahrenheit (-253 degrees Celsius or 20 Kelvin).
You may also like: 14 Best Telescopes to See the Moon (Ranked!)
6. Triton
Triton is one of the coldest places in the solar system and Neptune’s largest moon. It is a frozen world covered in nitrogen ice and has a temperature of 391 degrees Fahrenheit (-235 degrees Celsius).
It was discovered by British astronomer William Lassell on October 10, 1846, just 17 days after the discovery of Neptune.
Triton is an interesting object to study because it is thought to be a captured Kuiper Belt object. Studying its properties can help us understand the early history of our solar system.
7. Europa
Europa is one of the four Galilean moons of Jupiter and is known for its icy surface and subsurface ocean. The temperature on Europa is around -260°F, which is much colder than the surface of Earth’s coldest places.
The extreme coldness of Europa’s surface is due to its distance from the Sun.
Europa’s icy surface is believed to be hiding a subsurface ocean that could contain more than twice the amount of water found on Earth.
This ocean is thought to be in contact with the moon’s rocky mantle, creating conditions that could support life.
If you want to view Europa clearly, use the Celestron NexStar 8SE telescope. It has an 8-inch aperture and a focal length of 2032mm, which makes it capable of providing sharp and detailed views of Jupiter’s four largest moons, including Europa.
You may also like: 11 Best Telescopes to See Jupiter (Planet, Red Spot, and Moons)
8. Enceladus
Enceladus is a small, icy moon of Saturn known for its active geysers and subsurface ocean. The temperature on Enceladus is around -330°F(minus 201 degrees Celsius), making it one of the coldest places in the solar system.
The extreme coldness of Enceladus’s surface is due to its distance from the Sun and its lack of a significant atmosphere.
Enceladus’s subsurface ocean is one of the most promising places in the solar system to search for extraterrestrial life. The moon’s active geysers are thought to be caused by hydrothermal vents on the ocean floor, similar to those found on Earth.
The extreme coldness of Enceladus’s surface is believed to help maintain the stability of its subsurface ocean and increase the chances of finding life there.
FAQ about the coldest places in the Universe
Now that you know which are the 8 coldest places in the Universe, let’s explore some frequently asked questions related to this topic.
Is there anywhere colder than space?
The Boomerang Nebula, which is a planetary nebula located about 5,000 light-years away from Earth, is known to be the coldest known place in the universe. It has a temperature of about 1 Kelvin (-272.15 degrees Celsius or -457.87 degrees Fahrenheit), which is even colder than the average temperature of space.
The extreme coldness of the Boomerang Nebula is due to the expansion of gas and dust from a dying star, which has caused the temperature to drop to such low levels. This makes the Boomerang Nebula an interesting object of study for astronomers, as it provides insight into the extreme conditions and processes that occur in the universe.
Can Earth be colder than space?
In general, space itself is extremely cold, with an average temperature of about 2.7 Kelvin (-270.45 degrees Celsius or -454.81 degrees Fahrenheit). However, the temperature of a specific region of space can vary depending on various factors such as the presence of stars, planets, or other sources of radiation.
On the other hand, the temperature on Earth can also vary depending on factors such as location, altitude, and season. However, in general, Earth is warmer than the temperature of space. The temperature of Earth’s atmosphere decreases with altitude, and the outer layer of the atmosphere called the thermosphere can reach temperatures of up to 2,500 degrees Celsius (4,532 degrees Fahrenheit) due to the absorption of solar radiation.
That being said, in rare circumstances, certain parts of Earth can be colder than certain areas of space. For example, the temperature at the South Pole during the winter can drop below -70 degrees Celsius (-94 degrees Fahrenheit), which is colder than the average temperature of space. However, this is not a common occurrence, and in general, space is colder than Earth.
How cold is a black hole?
Black holes themselves do not have a temperature in the usual sense, as they are not made of matter that can have a temperature. Instead, the temperature associated with a black hole is related to the temperature of the radiation emitted by it, which is known as Hawking radiation.
Hawking radiation is a theoretical prediction by physicist Stephen Hawking that suggests black holes emit radiation due to quantum effects near the event horizon, the boundary surrounding the black hole from which nothing can escape. The temperature associated with Hawking radiation is inversely proportional to the mass of the black hole, meaning smaller black holes have a higher temperature than larger ones.
For example, a black hole with the mass of the sun would have a temperature of about 60 nano kelvins, which is extremely cold. However, smaller black holes, such as those that might be produced in particle accelerators, could have temperatures in the range of trillions of kelvins, which is incredibly hot.
It is important to note that the temperature associated with a black hole is not the temperature of the black hole itself but rather a measure of the energy of the radiation emitted by it.
Has absolute zero been reached?
Absolute zero is the theoretical temperature at which all matter would be completely devoid of heat energy and would be at its lowest possible energy state. It is equivalent to -273.15 degrees Celsius or -459.67 degrees Fahrenheit.
While scientists have been able to get extremely close to absolute zero, achieving it is not possible in practice due to the laws of thermodynamics. So while absolute zero has not been reached in practice, scientists have been able to get very close to it and study the behavior of matter at extremely low temperatures.
Takeaway: Explore the fascinating coldest places in the universe
The universe is full of extreme environments; the coldest places are among the most fascinating.
From the Boomerang Nebula to the icy moons of the outer planets, studying these places with extreme temperatures can help us understand the physical and chemical processes that occur in the universe.
As technology advances, we will undoubtedly discover even colder places in the universe, and each discovery will deepen our understanding of the cosmos.
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