Discerning the coldest place in the universe is no easy task; after all, we don’t have an ultra-long thermometer that we can merely extend out to the far reaches of the universe. Instead, astronomers use specialized space observation equipment and careful calculations to get the answers they’re looking for.
Based on observations made with such equipment, astronomers believe that the Boomerang Nebula is one of the coldest places in the universe. This is the site of a previous stellar collision between a red giant and another star. The incident sent gasses flying in both directions at high speeds, and these gasses are said to be colder than deep space itself.
According to astronomers, the speeding gasses reach a frigid temperature of nearly -459 degrees Fahrenheit (-273 degrees Celsius), which is four degrees colder than deep space itself; but as it would seem, the Boomerang Nebula is expected to warm up in the future as the red giant star at the center grows hotter.
Given the circumstances, the Boomerang Nebula might be one of the coldest known places in the universe today, but it won’t hold that title forever. One might say astronomers had the unique opportunity to study it just in time.
