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

The temperature variation observed by Chandrayaan 3 on the moon is interesting as the high of 70 degree was not expected, scientists said.

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.

Chandrayaan 3's first finding about temperature of lunar soil is an eye opener for the scientists. (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 graph Isro tweeted on lunar surface temperature based on Chandrayaan 3's data.

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

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)