I always thought that the term „temperature“ describes the amount of movement in matter on a microscope scale. The movement of atoms. So how can there be a temperature in space if there is a vacuum?
In: Planetary Science
The notion of temperature breaks down in vacuum.
On the one hand, parts of space are millions of degrees, because the two protons that occupy it move really fast.
On the other hand, you’d freeze to death as all your heat radiates away. That’s kind of cold.
On the third hand (it’s all the radiation, get some shielding) it’s really easy to overheat in space, if you don’t radiate enough. Say, if the sun is shining on you. That’s not very cold at all.
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