NASA-International Space Station

A man-made spacecraft has measured a minus 249 degree Celsius spot on the Earth's moon in a bid to identify the coldest place in the Solar System. NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter has calculated temperatures at the southwestern edge of the floor of the moon's Hermite Crater. The findings show the temperature of the environment reached as low as minus 249 degrees Celsius.

"The moon has one of the most extreme thermal environments of anybody in the Solar System," said Professor David Paige of the University of California in Los Angeles. It is believed that such an environment could conceal volatile substances that require extremely cold temperatures for storage during extended periods.

“These regions are cold enough to trap a wide range of compounds such as water, carbon dioxide, and various organic molecules,” Paige said. NASA plans to use the information to design shelters and operating procedures for future human excursions to the moon.