how cold is outer space?
For 2.7 Kelvin, or 2.7 degrees above absolute zero, is the temperature produced by the uniform background radiation or âafterglowâ from the Big Bang. But hang on. Evidently you donât hit temperatures that low the moment you step outside the Earthâs atmosphere.
NASA researchers are planning to create the coldest spot in the known universe inside the International Space Station. âWeâre going to study matter at temperatures far colder than are found naturally,â says Rob Thompson of JPL. Heâs the Project Scientist for NASAâs Cold Atom Lab, an atomic ârefrigeratorâ slated for launch to the ISS in 2016. We aim to push effective temperatures down to 100 pico-Kelvin..