The Coldest Place in the Universe is the Boomerang Nebula. Its temperature is one degree Kelvin, or minus 458 degrees Fahrenheit. It was thought that this object was shaped like a bow tie, but observations of it by the ALMA telescope in Chile proved otherwise. Read on if you’d like to visit the coldest place in the Universe! Here are some cool facts about this object.
Boomerang Nebula
The Boomerang Nebula is the coldest place in the Universe. The reason is simple: the Boomerang Nebula is the first stage of the formation of planets. The coldest natural temperatures in the Universe result from the adiabatic expansion of matter. This process allows the case to expand unchecked, creating extremely cold regions of space.
The nebula was first observed in 1980 by astronomers, who named it after the boomerang shape of nebula. The Hubble Space Telescope captured the nebula in 1998. In addition to being named after the boomerang shape, it resembles an hourglass or a bow tie. In 1990, astronomer Raghvendra Sahai predicted that cold regions would exist in the Universe.
The Boomerang nebula is a very unusual object compared to other nebulas. The Outflow of gas from the central star of the Boomerang nebula is accelerating and cooling itself rapidly, creating an ultra-cold environment. Scientists are now examining other objects in the Universe with the ALMA telescope to determine if they are even colder.
Pluto
Scientists have measured the temperature of Pluto at minus 280 degrees Fahrenheit, about -230 degrees Celsius. This makes Earth’s coldest spot seem mild by comparison. Pluto is far from Earth; the Sun is 5.9 billion miles or 3.7 billion kilometres away. However, Pluto’s temperature varies greatly, with the surface reaching as low as 33 Kelvin and as high as 55 Kelvin. Pluto’s average temperature is around 44 Kelvin, making it the coldest planet in our Solar System.
The surface temperature of Pluto varies depending on the season and the distance from the Sun. The nitrogen atmosphere on Pluto sublimates and forms a diffuse cloud around the planet. However, as the dwarf planet gets farther from the Sun, the nitrogen freezes out and falls to the surface as snow. In comparison, Earth’s room temperature is 21 degrees Celsius, while Pluto’s freezing point is 0 degrees Celsius. The temperature of Pluto is measured in Kelvins.
Vostok Research Station
Scientists at the Vostok Research Station are surprised to find that they are living in the coldest place in the Universe. This is due to a variety of factors. The ice sheet that covers the continent is dome-shaped like a turtle’s shell. The Vostok station is located on a thin 2.2-mile-thick piece of ice, and scientists believe the area is much colder at the top.
Located on the edge of the continent of Antarctica, Vostok Station is constantly covered in a layer of three meters of snow. The station’s electric power station is located beneath this snow. The human-sized tunnel dug into the ice makes it possible to visit the station. Another interesting site to explore is the drilling complex. The drilling complex revealed a subglacial lake, dubbed Lake Vostok. Despite being so remote, the station remains in operation today.
Vostok Research Station in Antarctica
The Vostok Research Station in Antarctica has thirty-five staff during the summer and twelve to thirteen winterers. The scientists on the station study climate, aerology, geophysics, oceanography, and meteorology. Support staff includes electricians, mechanic-drivers, cooks, and radio operators. Vostok is the coldest place in the Universe and arguably the coldest place on Earth.
The Vostok Research Station has fallen into disrepair recently, and the Russian government recently ordered a new complex to be built in Antarctica by 2019. A billion-dollar investment from one of Russia’s wealthiest citizens fueled this project. Modules of the new Vostok Research Station were constructed in St. Petersburg and set sail to Antarctica in October. But the new research station has yet to arrive at its destination. Russian researchers are now forced to travel to Antarctica via St. Petersburg because flights from South Africa have been suspended.
Researchers believe that climate change has isolated the Vostok Research Station. The high-altitude plateau in Antarctica blocks warm air from mixing with it, allowing the temperature to remain near the zero mark. The absence of clouds, a critical factor in determining climate change, is also believed to have made Vostok the coldest place in the Universe. However, the researchers warn that if global warming continues to affect the climate, this is likely to change in the future.
