What is the coldest place in the solar system? (2024)

What is the coldest place in the solar system? (1)

published

And how does the coldest place on Earth compare?

What is the coldest place in the solar system? (2)

Space is very, very cold. The baseline temperature of outer space is 2.7 kelvins (opens in new tab) — minus 454.81 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 270.45 degrees Celsius — meaning it is barely above absolute zero, the point at which molecular motion stops.

But this temperature is not constant throughout the

solar system

. So-called "empty" space — though it is not actually empty — is far colder than planets, moons or

asteroids

, for example, because there is (practically) nothing to absorb the energy coming from the sun.

So, not including regular "empty" space, what is the coldest place in the solar system? And how does it compare with temperatures on Earth?

Related: What's the coldest place in the universe?

Measuring space

First, let's take a moment to consider exactly how cosmic temperatures are taken.

"Temperatures can be measured by observing the intensity of infrared and microwave radiation emitted from surfaces," Ian Crawford, a professor of planetary science and astrobiology at Birkbeck, University of London in the United Kingdom, told Live Science in an email. "In the absence of such measurements, temperatures can be estimated based on the amount of sunlight they receive."

However, taking cosmic measurements isn't always simple. According to Don Pollacco, a professor of astronomy at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, "nothing is ever straightforward in astronomy, mainly because you are always observing, as opposed to interacting."

So, although there are accurate ways to measure temperatures in space, there will always be room for refinement. "Temperatures are estimates," Pollacco said. "The numbers you calculate depend on how good your assumptions really are and how detailed the physical model is that you are using."

So, with those points in mind, what is the coldest place in the solar system, at least according to current data? Pluto, perhaps, given its distance from the

sun

?

In fact, the coldest place might be much closer to home.

To the moon

In 2009, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, a NASA robotic spacecraft designed to help scientists better understand conditions on the moon, presented data suggesting that "shadowed craters" at the lunar south pole (opens in new tab) could be the coldest place in the solar system.

This theory was later reinforced by graduate student Patrick O'Brien and his adviser Shane Byrne, planetary researchers at the University of Arizona. During a talk at the 2022 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference (opens in new tab), O'Brien and Byrne suggested that "doubly shadowed" moon craters could indeed be "the coldest locations in the solar system."

According to O'Brien and Byrne, a crater can be regarded as doubly shadowed if it is "shielded not only from direct solar illumination but also from secondary heating sources," such as "solar radiation reflected off nearby illuminated areas as well as thermal radiation emitted from those warm surfaces."

Pollacco added that "doubly shadowed" craters "have high enough rims that sunlight never reaches the crater floor," which is why they are so cold.

O'Brien and Byrne's research suggests that, given these "permanently shadowed regions" have been "shielded" from solar illumination for billions of years, their craters could contain "micro-cold traps" that contain "not only water ice, but also more volatile compounds and elements," such as carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, dinitrogen, and argon.

Related: What is the coldest city in the world?

According to O'Brien and Byrne, these craters are estimated to have temperatures of around 25 kelvins (minus 414.67 F, or minus 248.15 C), but they could be colder.

Crawford is confident in the veracity of the research. "I'm sure these are the coldest temperatures in the inner solar system [from Mercury to Mars] and also colder than the estimated average surface temperature of Pluto," he said.

The average surface temperature of Pluto, for context, is 40.4 kelvins, which is minus 386.95 F or minus 232.75 C,

according to NASA

(opens in new tab).

However, these doubly shadowed moon craters may not be as cold as the Oort cloud, a shell of icy space debris located way beyond the orbit of Neptune, Crawford said. The distinction depends, he noted, on whether we include the Oort cloud when discussing the solar system.

What is the coldest place in the solar system? (3)

The Oort cloud is at once considered to be the "most distant region of our solar system" by NASA (opens in new tab), but also "beyond" our solar system (opens in new tab). This lack of clarity means it is sometimes regarded as part of the solar system, and at others defined as the boundary between our solar system and interstellar space. The Oort cloud is considered to only be '"loosely bound to the solar system," according to ThePlanets.org (opens in new tab).

According to Northwestern University (opens in new tab) in Illinois, temperatures in the Oort cloud could be as cold as 5 kelvins (minus 450.67 F or minus 268.15 C), which would be far colder than any temperature found on our moon.

However, if we don't include the Oort cloud, the coldest place in the solar system is very likely to be found on our nearest celestial neighbor.

Earth comparisons

On Earth, even the coldest, most punishing Antarctic temperatures are far warmer than either the moon's craters or the Oort cloud. The coldest terrestrial temperature ever recorded — registered on July 21, 1983, at Russia's Vostok research station in Antarctica — was minus 128.6 F (minus 89.2 C), according to the World Meteorological Organization's World Weather & Climate Extremes Archive (opens in new tab).

However, scientists have artificially created temperatures that are lower than those that occur naturally on Earth, in the moon's craters or even in the Oort cloud. Last year, a team of German researchers broke the record for the coldest temperature reached in a laboratory: a chilling minus 459.67 F (minus 273.15 C), which they achieved by "dropping magnetized gas 393 feet (120 meters) down a tower."

But when it comes to temperatures that occur naturally, the darkest, most shadowy recesses of our moon seem very likely to boast the lowest temperature in our solar system — depending, of course, on how you choose to classify the Oort cloud.

Originally published on Live Science.

What is the coldest place in the solar system? (4)

Live Science Contributor

Joe Phelan is a journalist based in London. His work has appeared in VICE, National Geographic, World Soccer and The Blizzard, and has been a guest on Times Radio. He is drawn to the weird, wonderful and under examined, as well as anything related to life in the Arctic Circle. He holds a bachelor's degree in journalism from the University of Chester.

What is the coldest place in the solar system? (2024)

FAQs

Which is the coldest place in the solar system? ›

Hermite is a lunar impact crater located along the northern lunar limb, close to the north pole of the Moon. Named for Charles Hermite, the crater was formed roughly 3.91 billion years ago. Hermite's southwestern edge is the coldest place currently known in the Solar System.

How cold is the solar system? ›

It can be as cold as -290°F (-179°C) on Mercury at night. Temperatures for the gas and ice giants (Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune) are taken from a level in the atmosphere equal in pressure to sea level on Earth.

What is the 2 coldest planet in the solar system? ›

Neptune is the second coldest planet, Uranus's atmosphere makes it the coldest planet with temperature of minus 224 deg. celcius.

Which moon is the coldest place in the solar system? ›

To begin, Triton is considered to be one of the coldest places in our entire Solar System. The moon's surface temperature is about -235°C on average, while Pluto averages about -229°C.

What is the coldest place in space? ›

According to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the coldest point in the cosmos is the Boomerang Nebula. According to NASA, the Boomerang Nebula is the coldest spot in the known cosmos, with a temperature of one degree Kelvin. One degree Kelvin is 458 degrees Fahrenheit, or roughly 272 degrees Celsius.

What is the coldest place in the galaxy? ›

According to NASA, the Boomerang Nebula is the coldest spot in the known cosmos, with a temperature of one degree Kelvin. One degree Kelvin is 458 degrees Fahrenheit, or roughly 272 degrees Celsius.

Which is the hottest and coldest place in solar system? ›

The hottest planet in the solar system is Venus with an average temperature of 464 degree Celsius and the coldest planet in the solar system is Pluto with an average temperature of -225 degree Celsius.

Why is space so cold? ›

In fact, it doesn't actually have a temperature at all. Temperature is a measurement of the speed at which particles are moving, and heat is how much energy the particles of an object have. So in a truly empty region space, there would be no particles and radiation, meaning there's also no temperature.

Why is Uranus so cold? ›

Why is Uranus so cold? The big problem is that Uranus isn't generating any heat. The other giant planets in the Solar System actually give off more heat than they receive from the Sun. This is because they're slowly compacting down, and this generates high temperatures inside their cores.

Is Mars hot or cold? ›

Temperatures on Mars average about -81 degrees F. However, temperatures range from around -220 degrees F. in the wintertime at the poles, to +70 degrees F. over the lower latitudes in the summer.

Which planet is red planet? ›

Mars is known as the Red Planet because iron minerals in the Martian soil oxidize, or rust, causing the soil and atmosphere to look red.

Is Triton the coldest place in the solar system? ›

Triton has the coldest surface known anywhere in the Solar System (38 K); it is so cold that most of Triton's nitrogen is condensed as frost, making it the only satellite in the Solar System known to have a surface made mainly of nitrogen ice.

How cold is deep space? ›

Far outside our solar system and out past the distant reaches of our galaxy—in the vast nothingness of space—the distance between gas and dust particles grows, limiting their ability to transfer heat. Temperatures in these vacuous regions can plummet to about -455 degrees Fahrenheit (2.7 kelvin).

Why is Uranus blue? ›

Uranus gets its blue-green color from methane gas in the atmosphere. Sunlight passes through the atmosphere and is reflected back out by Uranus' cloud tops. Methane gas absorbs the red portion of the light, resulting in a blue-green color.

How cold is a black hole? ›

Stellar black holes are very cold: they have a temperature of nearly absolute zero – which is zero Kelvin, or −273.15 degrees Celsius. Supermassive black holes are even colder.

What is colder than space? ›

There is one region in the known universe, the Boomerang Nebula, a cloud of gas that surrounds a dying star in the constellation of Centaurus, which is even colder than the rest of the universe — around 1 Kelvin or minus 457.6 ⁰F (minus 272⁰ C).

What's the coldest city on Earth? ›

Welcome to winter in Yakutsk, the coldest city in the world. Residents of this notoriously frosty city, the capital of Russia's Sakha Republic in eastern Siberia, regularly deal with temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter.

What's the hottest planet? ›

Even though Mercury is closer to the Sun, Venus is the hottest planet in our solar system. Its thick atmosphere is full of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, and it has clouds of sulfuric acid. The atmosphere traps heat, making it feel like a furnace on the surface.

Are there planets colder than space? ›

LiveScience reports space is very cold, colder than planets, moons or asteroids, due to the absence of energy-absorbing matter. However, scientists have discovered a place that's colder than the space.

Which is the coldest planet in solar system Wikipedia? ›

The lowest temperature recorded in Uranus's tropopause is 49 K (−224.2 °C; −371.5 °F), making Uranus the coldest planet in the Solar System.

Is space colder than Antarctica? ›

The temperature of space is approximately -456 degrees Celsius. This translates to roughly 2.7 Kelvin. For perspective, the coldest temperature ever recorded on Earth was -138.5 degrees Celsius, or 178.45 Kelvin, in Antarctica.

Where is the coldest star? ›

Alaska is the coldest state in the US, with an average annual temperature of 30.7 F°. The second coldest state in the US is North Dakota, with an average temperature of 42.4 F°.

What is the coldest star in the universe? ›

List
Star nameTemperature (K)Distance (light years)
Epsilon Indi Bb99312.05
2MASS 0243-24531,05035±1
Cha 110913-7734441,350529
Epsilon Indi Ba1,35312.05
24 more rows

Which is the coldest and smallest of all planets? ›

Solar System Stats
  • Smallest planet – Mercury, with a radius of 2,440 km (about one third the size of Earth)
  • Largest planet – Jupiter. ...
  • Hottest planet – Venus, despite Mercury being closer to the Sun. ...
  • Coldest planet – Uranus can get as cold as -226⁰C. ...
  • Shortest day – Jupiter. ...
  • Longest day – Venus.
Sep 3, 2016

Is the Moon colder than Pluto? ›

NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter recorded a temperature of -240°C inside a crater at the Moon's south pole, where the Sun has never shone. That's 20°C colder than the surface of Pluto.

How cold is absolute zero? ›

Physicists acknowledge they can never reach the coldest conceivable temperature, known as absolute zero and long ago calculated to be minus 459.67°F.

What does space smell like? ›

Astronaut Thomas Jones said it "carries a distinct odor of ozone, a faint acrid smell…a little like gunpowder, sulfurous." Tony Antonelli, another space-walker, said space "definitely has a smell that's different than anything else." A gentleman named Don Pettit was a bit more verbose on the topic: "Each time, when I ...

Why is space black? ›

Since there is virtually nothing in space to scatter or re-radiate the light to our eye, we see no part of the light and the sky appears to be black.

Does water freeze in space? ›

Key Takeaways: Would Water Boil or Freeze in Space? Water immediately boils in space or any vacuum. Space does not have a temperature because temperature is a measure of molecule movement.

What crashed into Uranus? ›

This study confirms an older study that suggested Uranus' significant tilt was caused by a collision with a massive object. The researchers suspect that this object was probably a young protoplanet, made up of rock and ice.

Which planet has 27 moons? ›

In 1999, another three moons were discovered: one was discovered while comparing images from Voyager 2 and two more were discovered by astronomers using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope at Mauna Kea. As of 2014, 27 moons are known to orbit Uranus.

How cold is Pluto? ›

Pluto's surface is characterized by mountains, valleys, plains, and craters. The temperature on Pluto can be as cold as -375 to -400 degrees Fahrenheit (-226 to -240 degrees Celsius). Pluto's tallest mountains are 6,500 to 9,800 feet (2 to 3 kilometers) in height.

Does blood boil on Mars? ›

For example, like Earth, Mars has seasons, meaning seasonal changes in its atmosphere and weather. But the Martian atmosphere is much thinner than Earth's, meaning atmospheric pressure is so low that the blood of any unprotected visitor would boil.

Why is Mars red? ›

So where does that redness come from? Well, a lot of rocks on Mars are full of iron, and when they're exposed to the great outdoors, they 'oxidize' and turn reddish - the same way an old bike left out in the yard gets all rusty.

Will we ever run out of oxygen? ›

Oxygen makes up one-fifth of the air we breathe, but it's the most vital component – and it does seem to be declining. The main cause is the burning of fossil fuels, which consumes free oxygen. Fortunately, the atmosphere contains so much oxygen that we're in no danger of running out soon.

Is Mars is a Dead planet? ›

Some four billion years ago, the core of Mars became inactive, its magnetic field disappeared, and the solar wind stripped the atmosphere away. With our magnetic field intact, our planet will remain blue and alive for the foreseeable future.

What planet is blue? ›

Neptune: The Blue Planet | NASA.

Can a human survive on Mars? ›

But on Mars, carbon dioxide is 96% of the air! Meanwhile, Mars has almost no oxygen; it's only one-tenth of one percent of the air, not nearly enough for humans to survive. If you tried to breathe on the surface of Mars without a spacesuit supplying your oxygen – bad idea – you would die in an instant.

Which planet has 13 moons? ›

Neptune has 13 known moons, though most are small and orbit closer to Neptune than its rings. Triton is Neptune's only large moon with a diameter of 2,704 km, and Proteus and Nereid are Neptune's second and third largest moons, respectively.

Why is Neptune blue? ›

The predominant blue color of the planet is a result of the absorption of red and infrared light by Neptune's methane atmosphere. Clouds elevated above most of the methane absorption appear white, while the very highest clouds tend to be yellow-red as seen in the bright feature at the top of the right-hand image.

Could we live on Triton? ›

It is very cold on Triton, about -300 degrees. There is almost no atmosphere, but what there is is like Saturn's moon Titan because there is Nitrogen. Nitrogen is one of the waste products left behind by life forms. Unfortunately Triton is inside the magnetosphere of Neptune, which is very harmful to life.

How cold is space void? ›

If atoms come to a complete stop, they are at absolute zero. Space is just above that, at an average temperature of 2.7 Kelvin (about minus 455 degrees Fahrenheit).

Why is space infinite? ›

Because space isn't curved they will never meet or drift away from each other. A flat universe could be infinite: imagine a 2D piece of paper that stretches out forever.

How cold is Moon? ›

Taking the Moon's Temperature

Daytime temperatures near the lunar equator reach a boiling 250 degrees Fahrenheit (120° C, 400 K), while nighttime temperatures get to a chilly -208 degrees Fahrenheit (-130° C, 140 K). The Moon's poles are even colder.

What color is Mars? ›

Mars, known as the Red Planet, is a mostly dry and dusty place. A variety of colors can be seen on the surface, including the predominant rusty red the planet is known for. This rusty red color is iron oxide, just like the rust that forms here on Earth when iron oxidizes – often in the presence of water.

Who first saw Uranus? ›

Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, and has the third-largest diameter in our solar system. It was the first planet found with the aid of a telescope, Uranus was discovered in 1781 by astronomer William Herschel, although he originally thought it was either a comet or a star.

What color is the last planet? ›

It's made of a thick soup of water, ammonia, and methane over an Earth-sized solid center. Its atmosphere is made of hydrogen, helium, and methane. The methane gives Neptune the same blue color as Uranus. Neptune has six rings, but they're very hard to see.

Is there anywhere colder than space? ›

An underground superconducting particle accelerator at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory has been cooled down to a mind-boggling minus 456 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 271 degrees Celsius or 2 kelvin). That's just a few degrees above the coldest possible temperature in the universe, absolute zero.

Is there a place colder than space? ›

NASA reported that “at a cosmologically crisp one degree Kelvin,” the Boomerang Nebula takes the title of the coldest place in the known universe. One degree Kelvin translates to minus 458 degrees Fahrenheit or approximately minus 272 degrees Celsius.

Is space cold yes or no? ›

Though sci-fi movies would have us believe that space is incredibly cold — even freezing — space itself isn't exactly cold. In fact, it doesn't actually have a temperature at all. Temperature is a measurement of the speed at which particles are moving, and heat is how much energy the particles of an object have.

Is space colder than the ocean? ›

In space, the three big problems are (1) no air, (2) there's no air pressure in space, and (3) it's extremely cold (much colder than at the bottom of the ocean).

Is Mercury the hottest or coldest place in the solar system? ›

Without an atmosphere to retain that heat at night, temperatures can dip as low as -290°F (-180°C). Despite its proximity to the Sun, Mercury is not the hottest planet in our solar system – that title belongs to nearby Venus, thanks to its dense atmosphere.

Does absolute 0 exist? ›

Absolute zero, technically known as zero kelvins, equals −273.15 degrees Celsius, or -459.67 Fahrenheit, and marks the spot on the thermometer where a system reaches its lowest possible energy, or thermal motion. There's a catch, though: absolute zero is impossible to reach.

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