Like i understand there isn’t a lot of things for the heat from Stars to bounce off of but what causes Space itself to be cold? Is it naturally always cold and if so why?
In: Planetary Science
Cold is the default state in a vacuum. Add matter and agitate the molecules, and now you can have heat.
Stick a hot rock in a vacuum chamber with a thermometer a foot from it. It is radiating some heat, so the thermometer may be slightly affected by that. The thermometer will not register convective heat because there’s nothing convect through, no air to warm so that the thermometer is exposed to the warmth. There’s no mass between the rock and thermometer to hold any heat, so it’s cold in that area.
Now we go to space, which is a pretty good vacuum. Tiny particles in it are being warmed by the Sun, but you’re not going to feel their heat, same as the rock. But you are getting pretty hot if you are in the Sun’s rays.
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