Where is the coldest place in the known universe?

The coldest place in the universe is called the Boomerang Nebula, also known as the Boomerang Nebula or the Bow Tie Nebula. It is 5,000 light years away from Earth. Scientists have measured that the temperature of the Boomerang Nebula can reach minus 272 degrees Celsius, which is only 1.15 degrees Celsius higher than absolute zero (-273.15 degrees Celsius).

The coldest place in the known universe: the Boomerang Nebula

How cold is the Boomerang Nebula? Let's compare it to the temperature on Earth.

First of all, the Earth is a relatively warm planet. The average annual temperature of the Earth is about 15°C. 15°C is very pleasant. The temperature of the Boomerang Nebula is 287°C lower than the average temperature of the Earth.

Secondly, Oymyakon in East Siberia is one of the coldest permanent human settlements in the world. It is known as the "cold pole" of the northern hemisphere. The lowest temperature ever recorded in Oymyakon is -71.2℃. If you go out in such extremely cold weather, your face will be frostbitten in a few seconds if you don't cover your head tightly. You can even hear the sound of your hot breath being frozen into ice.

The coldest temperature I have ever experienced is only -16℃. For those of us living in warm temperate regions, this is unimaginably cold. However, the temperature in Oymyakon is 200℃ higher than that in the Bumerang Nebula.

Cold Oymyakon Winter

Finally, the coldest place on Earth is Antarctica. The average temperature in Antarctica is -25°C. The lowest temperature ever observed in Antarctica is -93.2°C. This is the lowest temperature we know of on Earth. However, the Boomerang Nebula is 178.8°C colder than the lowest temperature in Antarctica.

Let's compare the temperature of the Boomerang Nebula with that of other planets in the universe.

Mars is much colder than Earth. The temperature on Mars can drop to -133°C during winter. Even so, the temperature on Mars is still 139°C higher than the Boomerang Nebula.

The farther away a planet is from the sun, the colder its surface temperature will be. The average distance between Pluto and the sun is about 5.9 billion kilometers. The surface temperature of Pluto is minus 229 degrees Celsius. On Pluto, nitrogen (melting point -210 degrees Celsius) and oxygen (melting point -218.4 degrees Celsius) have become solid. However, the cold Pluto is still 43 degrees Celsius higher than the Boomerang Nebula.

Cold Pluto

By comparing the two, we find that the Boomerang Nebula is indeed very cold. It is the coldest place in the universe we know of. It is even 2°C lower than the cosmic background temperature. Why is it so cold?

Scientists have discovered that the refrigeration principle of the Boomerang Nebula is similar to that of a refrigerator at home. The Boomerang Nebula is a cloud of gas and dust. It was ejected from a dying star. The gas jet speed is as high as 540,000 kilometers per hour. The Boomerang Nebula is expanding rapidly. This requires a lot of energy. However, there is no heat source around it. In this way, the Boomerang Nebula can only consume internal energy, which leads to a sharp drop in internal temperature, and finally drops to a state close to absolute zero.

Boomerang Nebula

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