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China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

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Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#71
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

No, actually, a vacuum is an ideal environment for radiating heat away -- better than an atmosphere, certainly. Surfaces in lunar shadow really do drop to an extremely low temperature over a period of days.

You changed the entire context by sticking the word 'radiating' in there. Yes vacuum is fine for radiation, but radiation is much slower than physical contact with standard pressure air.

> Yes vacuum is fine for radiation, but radiation is much slower than physical contact with standard pressure air.

Actually, it's the other way around. Under a clear sky at the surface of the earth, radiation is much more efficient than convection and conduction to air. This is why objects at the surface readily cool below air temperature at night.

Source: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/thermo/coobod.htm...

The linked example is a person losing heat energy under normal circumstances (23 C ambient, body temperature of 34 C). The example shows that a body loses 17 watts to perspiration, 11 watts to conduction (to the air and environment), and 133 watts to radiation.

Contrary to what many people think, a planet without an atmosphere loses heat to space very efficiently, solely by radiation -- indeed, that mechanism is more efficient in the absence of an atmosphere. But even with an atmosphere, radiation is the major heat loss mechanism, most more efficient than convection.

Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#72
post #2

This is a shame, but most people -- even in space programs -- don't appreciate how cold the Moon's shaded areas become. It's now estimated that these areas get to 26 Kelvins -- that's 26 degrees above absolute zero. To get a sense of how cold this is, Pluto's average surface temperature is seven degrees warmer . Also consider that, because of the specifics of the Moon's orbit, a given area stays shaded for just over…

>To get a sense of how cold this is, Pluto's average surface temperature is seven degrees warmer. That doesn't give me a good sense because I have no idea how Pluto's average surface temperature compares to typical on-Earth temperatures that I have experienced. This gives me a better sense: 26 K = -247.2 C

IMHO you're better off thinking in Kelvins. Room temperature is 295 Kelvins, the cosmic background radiation (the leftover glow of the Big Bang) is 2.7 Kelvins, and between the stars, far from any particular star, an object naturally cools to the universe's background temperature of 2.7 Kelvins.

Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#75
post #39

Does anyone know if there are images from this rover available on-line ? I'd love to see some hi rez shots of the Earth with the Moon's horizon in the shot.

Here are some images of a mock-up of the rover, being shown off at a science conference in Beijing. It's an impressive technical achievement.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/science/9448077/China-sending-jade-ra...

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-11-26/chinas-jade-...

http://imarstore.blogspot.com/2013/11/technology-china-going...

The question is, why is Europe being nuked in the background? Note how the images are from at least 3 different angles, so it's not like some reporter got a Photoshopped picture ...

http://www.reddit.com/r/WTF/comments/1t37gn/wtf_is_a_mushroo...

http://rt.com/news/europe-nuclear-explosion-china-440/

Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#76
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As it turns out, even on earth's surface, radiation is a more efficient heat transfer method than conduction and convection through the air. Objects under a clear sky quickly drop below air temperature in many circumstances.

Thank you! I did an hour jog tonight, and most of that time was spent trying to figure out why there was frost on the ground with an air temperature above freezing and a warm breeze.

I wonder if heat might also be conducting downwards to the frozen ground below.

Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#77
post #52
post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the point of the parent comment was that simply being in a cold vacuum doesn't make you instantly cold. That still requires a process of heat transfer, which occurs in a fluid via conduction, convection, and radiation. When immersed in a vacuum the conduction and convection heat transfer paths are sharply reduced, so the question then becomes how fast do you cool off via radiation alone? I'm not a physicist s…

As it turns out, even on earth's surface, radiation is a more efficient heat transfer method than conduction and convection through the air. Objects under a clear sky quickly drop below air temperature in many circumstances.

Wow, that seems amazing but now that you mention it I think I've heard of that happening even in deserts.

Re: China's Jade Rabbit lunar rover dies on moon

#78
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It sounds like a dildo name to me.

Culture difference. Jade Rabbit is a figure in Chinese legend, companion of a fairy named Chang'e.

>companion of a fairy named Chang

Now it even sounds more like a dildo name.

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