The coldest temperature in the solar system is found in the Boötes Void, a massive region of space that is largely devoid of matter. However, if we focus on temperatures within the solar system itself, the coldest place is on the planet Uranus and its moon Triton.
Here are the coldest recorded temperatures:
1. Uranus:
- Temperature: The average temperature on Uranus is about -224°C (-371°F).
- Details: Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, and its extreme cold is due to its distance from the Sun as well as its lack of a significant internal heat source.
2. Triton (Neptune’s moon):
- Temperature: The temperature on Triton, one of Neptune’s moons, is around -235°C (-391°F).
- Details: Triton is one of the coldest bodies in the solar system because of its location far from the Sun, and the fact that it has a thin atmosphere and experiences very little solar heating.
3. The Kuiper Belt:
- The Kuiper Belt, a region of icy bodies beyond Neptune (including Pluto), also has incredibly low temperatures. The temperatures there can dip to around -260°C (-436°F), close to absolute zero, as the objects in this region are far from the Sun and receive little heat.
4. Outer Space (Near Absolute Zero):
- The cosmic background temperature of the universe is about -270°C (-454°F), just a few degrees above absolute zero (the lowest possible temperature where atomic motion stops).
In summary, Triton holds the record for the coldest known temperature in the solar system at -235°C, followed closely by Uranus. However, the outer reaches of space, particularly in the Kuiper Belt and beyond, experience temperatures nearing absolute zero, making them the coldest environments in our solar system.