70-degree Celsius moon surface temperature was not expected: Scientists

As Chandrayaan 3 on Sunday sent its first findings on the lunar surface temperature of the south pole, scientists said the high of 70-degree Celsius temperature near the surface was not expected. A temperature between 20 degrees centigrade to 30 degrees on the surface where Chandrayaan 3 landed and is executing its experiments was estimated. "We all believed that the temperature could be somewhere around 20-degree centigrade to 30-degree centigrade on the surface but it is 70-degree centigrade. This is surprisingly higher than what we had expected," Isro scientist BH Darukesha told news agency PTI.

On the earth, there is hardly any such variation and so the first findings of Chandrayaan 3 are very interesting. "When we go two to three centimetres inside the Earth, we hardly see two to three degree centigrade variation whereas there (in Moon), it is about 50 degree centigrade variation. This is something interesting," the scientist said.

The temperature variation on the lunar surface -- around the south pole -- is from 70 degree Celsius to minus 10 degree Celsius. This is the first time that the information came to the scientific fraternity of the world, courtesy Isro's Chandrayaan 3.

What Chandrayaan 3 found about temperature variation on lunar surface: Explained

In the graph, presented by the Isro, the temperature of the lunar surface has been examined by the Vikram payload at different depths. As deciphered from the chart, the temperature remains around 50-degree Celsius on the ground. And it increases to over 60-degree at the height of 20mm. At -80mm depth, which is below the ground, the temperature drops to minus 10-degree Celsius.

The temperature has been measured during the day as one lunar day is still going on in the moon. But the south pole is less illuminated by the Sun, Isro chairman S Somnath earlier said explaining the reason for picking the south pole for the soft landing of Chandrayaan 3.

(With PTI inputs)