A Brief Visit to the Total Perspective Vortex
I almost whined the other day about how our temperatures dropped 20 degrees last week (and another 10 degrees this week). Then I remembered the Canadian and the Minnesotan I met in college, who wore shorts year-round because the winters were so "warm" in Las Cruces.
Then I thought of how cold it is in outer space and how hot it is in the middle of the sun (not to mention hotter stars). If you think it's cold now, try getting down to 0 degrees Kelvin.
That's a vast range of temperature in the universe. Our planet's atmosphere, combined with the distance from the sun, helps keep us in a relatively balmy, 200 degree range (approximately). If you're cold, put on a sweater. If you're still cold, go outside for a while -- like, outside the solar system.
What, now you want oxygen, too?
posted by Captain Chlorophyll @ 4:40 AM
2 Comments:
Actually, space is about 3 degree Kelvin. (Or, to be really pedantic, 3 Kelvins.) And Earth is more like 300. :)
I know people who wear shorts all year round here, too, and we're generally a bit colder than Cruces. It's like they get the New Mexico = warm idea in their heads, and refuse to be persuaded otherwise by reality.
I forgot to specify that I was thinking in Fahrenheit. I figured our planet's temperatures range from about 150 deg. F to -50 deg. F. Then I thought I was too high, so maybe 130 deg. F to -70 deg. F is more accurate. (I'd have to look it up to make sure, and I'm too lazy to do that.)
Ah, yes. After my second winter of, "My, what a nice, sunny day. I think I'll go outs... Brr!" I realized, "Toto, I have a feeling we're not in New Jersey any more," and that sunlight doesn't always equal warmth.
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