Planck: The coldest object in all of Space

The Planck observatory is now the coldest object in space. It was sent to study the background microwave radiation or the Cosmic Microwave Background. It is interesting to see what will happen if the craft reached the zero heat energy limit - where atoms stop moving

The European Space Agency’s Planck observatory has reached its operating temperature of a mere tenth of a degree above the lowest temperature theoretically possible given the laws of physics, known as absolute zero. That means it’s ready for its mission: Observing the oldest light in the universe, known as the cosmic microwave background, or CMB, to create the clearest picture yet of what the young universe looked like.

Although scientists have achieved temperatures closer than this to absolute zero in the laboratory, the spacecraft is likely the coldest object in space. Such low temperatures are necessary for Planck’s detectors to study the Cosmic Microwave Background by measuring its temperature across the sky. Over the next few weeks, mission operators will fine-tune the spacecraft’s instruments. Planck will begin to survey the sky in mid-August

Source: blogs.discovermagazine.com...

Absolute Zero is something like 350 degrees BELOW Zero..if i'm not mistaken.. I only wished I lived in a time when you could travel Vast distances.. Space is such a ultra cool thing.. If only we could venture out there and study other planets, galaxies, life forms, intelligent species.. It make me sick that were stuck on earth.. The distances just between suns is Mind-Boggling.. The distances between Galaxies is so stagering that the brain really can't wrap itself around billions of light years away.... Anyway sorry I got off subject..

reply to post by Molan27


Its also amazing how similar the vast distances that are in space apply to "inner space" If a nucleus of an atom was the size of an orange an electron would be about an eight of the with of a human hair and its orbit around it would be 2 miles out. Pretty amazing stuff

reply to post by Molan27

Absolute Zero is something like 350 degrees BELOW Zero

-459.67 degrees Fahrenheit to be exact.