In space, heating and cooling occur only by way of radiation � objects are warmed by solar rays warm and cool off by emitting infrared energy.
Without thermal controls, the Space Stations Sun-facing side would heat to 250 degrees F (121 C), while thermometers on the dark side would plunge to minus 250 degrees F (-157 C).
By analyzing these images, cosmologists have made the most accurate determination of the age of the cosmos, have directly detected primordial helium gas for the first time and have discovered a key signature of inflation, the leading model of how the cosmos came to be.
Source:
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/02/nasa-wmap-universe-age/
