How/why is space between the sun and the earth so cold, when we can feel heat coming from the sun?

Question

How/why is space between the sun and the earth so cold, when we can feel heat coming from the sun?

In: 11387

Answer 1

You need to distinguish between heat and temperature to understand this. The sun radiates energy, but it doesn’t contribute to an increase in temperature until it hits something and warms that something up. Because there is nothing in between the sun and the earth, it is “cold”. But if you were floating there, with the sun full on you, it would heat you up. They need to put reflective foil on spacecraft for this reason. In the shade of something, your body would radiate heat, which would make you very cold.