QUESTION:
Just how cold is the planet Pluto, and what processes would a person go
through because of the cold if he/she were on the planet and in what
amount of time?

ANSWER from Marc Buie on May 26, 1996:
First, if you have access to the World-Wide Web, try taking a look at
http://www.lowell.edu/buie/pluto/plutotemp.html where I've described
many things related to understanding the temperature of Pluto.

Here's a quick summary.  Pluto is about 35-45 K (degrees above absolute
zero).  On a Farenheit scale that would be -378 to -396 F, very cold
indeed.  The coldest spot on the Earth was measured in Antartica at
184 K or -128 F.  If you were in Antartica you'd be very cold but that's
very warm compared to Pluto.  If you were on Pluto, you'd have to live
in a very well insulated shelter or you'd freeze to death almost instantly.