is there any temperature in space?

Answer 1

As with all scientific questions, it is important to break one into it's most fundamental properties.

First, what is heat? Short answer: Energy (which then moves atoms and molecules "heating" the substance).

Okay, so if "heat" is from moving molecules, are there any in space? Contrary to popular belief, YES there are (though significantly less then in the atmosphere).

So is there heat in space? Well, there is more than enough energy generated from astronomical phenomena (i.e. stars) and since there are atoms and molecules (however far apart spaced) in space, then YES, there is heat on space. I just wouldn't recommend taking off your spacesuit to see how hot.

Answer 2

This is a slightly tricky question.

For a physicist, “temperature” measures the average kinetic energy of the particles in a system. The thing with space is that it’s rather empty—but not completely empty! In and around the solar system, you’ll find several protons per cubic centimeter. You can think of the those particles as having a temperature.

But there’s another factor you need to consider, which is radiation. Most radiation one encounters has a “temperature” in the sense that it transfers energy to an object and increases the average kinetic energy of particles in the object. Conversely, an object can lose energy by radiating energy—the Sun does this all the time, thankfully, and recall that humans glow in infrared light.

So let’s say you place a thermometer out in space. It’s unlikely to gain or lose energy from the (relatively few) particles nearby, so we only need to worry about radiation. If there’s no source of light around, the temperature it reads will slowly decrease as it radiates energy away, until it finally reads absolute zero (that’s –273°C or –460°F). If it’s receiving light from the Sun, say, the temperature it reads will slowly adjust to match the effective temperature of the radiation it receives.

The actual situation is a tad more complicated, but those are the basic concepts to think about.


Ryan Wyatt
Rose Center for Earth & Space
New York, New York

Answer 3

What space? Interstellar space? For the most part, there is no way to measure temperature in interstellar space unless there is a cloud of gas because temperature is measuring the activity of particles. The faster they move the hotter they are. If there are no particles, there is no way to measure temperature.

Of course, if you put a device to measure temperature in interstellar space, you can measure the temperature of the device, which will either be briefly warm and drop rapidly to close to absolute zero, or, if it has a heater of some sort to keep it working, it will measure the average temperature where the sensor is.

Answer 4

Is the tempeture of space absolute 0?

Actually, space is a little warmer than that. Absolute zero is also known as 0 degress Kelvin, or -273 degrees Celcius.
The coldest parts of space reach the temperature of 3 degrees Kelvin, or -270 degrees Celcius. This is very, very close to absolute zero, but not quite there!

Answer 5

I'm not sure that its possible to achieve minus 273c or 0K, Isn't it a theoretical temperature only>>
You can reach minus 272.99999 recurring, but not minus 273..I think...
I'm sure someone will put me right if i am wrong!

Answer 6

Yes. It is an infinitesimally small degree above absolute zeo.

Answer 7

actually there are radiations in space(open ) and radiations dont used to be hot and cool (like girls) so there cant be temp without a body which can store heat energy(temp is measure of heat)......................................understand

Answer 8

yes, cold

Answer 9

yeah. really cold

Answer 10

COLD