<p>I think I understand the spirit of this question and I'll touch some of the basics.</p>

<p>Space is, obviously, mostly, but not entirely empty.   There's space dust and gas particles bouncing around in what we would call a near perfect vacuum on Earth, but there are still some particles out there, mostly hydrogen and helium, but a disburse scattering of other particles too.   In "empty" space, those collisions would be pretty close to negligible over the short term.   Bombarding an organic material with hydrogen (very very slowly) and the occasional helium or alpha particle would affect it gradually.   I have no idea the time scale though.   It might still look very much the same after 1,000 years.   Stuff would break down in space very very slowly.   Much slower than on Earth where we have wind, water and bacteria.</p>

<p>Even if it was struck by a coronal mass ejection from the sun, the particles are disburse enough that it wouldn't make much visible difference, though charged hyrogen, alpha particles and electrons would make some chemical changes.   It might grow somewhat carcinagenic, after being struck by a CME but the effects wouldn't be visible.</p>

<p>The major effect would be from photons.    An object in Earth's orbit, facing the sun would get quite hot, like the surface of the Moon.   This heating is almost entirely from the Sun's light.  It's temperature would depend on it's color and how much light was absorbed vs reflected.  (look up albedo and black body temperature for more info) but a chicken in orbit around the Earth would cook, somewhat slowly, it might take a few hours or maybe the better part of a day, cause one side would be hot the other side cold.   The rate of rotation would matter too.  Ideally it would rotate very very slowly, so that the side facing the sun would have time to warm up.  One rotation every 2-3 hours might work.   If it rotates too fast it might never get enough heat to cook on the inside.    </p>

<p>It's also not a good method of cooking cause the UV rays would make some chemical changes and probably make it carcinogenic.</p>

<p>In space, there's no conduction or convection (the primary methods of heat exchange on Earth).   Any heating/cooking would come from light from a nearby star and enough light will cook a chicken.</p>

<p>In deep space, far from any stars, it would freeze.   You know how water feels colder then air when they are the same temperature - that's because of convection.   Touching the water pulls heat out of you more effectively than air.   Similarly, a chicken will cook faster in 212 degree water than 212 degree air.    In space, there's no convection into empty space (if you ignore the unpleasant vacuum effect), it wouldn't feel as cold as very cold air, but your body would still lose heat by radiation and so it would freeze.</p>

<p>As I pointed out above, any decay by cosmic rays, once frozen would be very very slow.   Perhaps millions of years.</p>

<p>That's the gist of it.   I think that addresses the spirit of your question.   These processes are well understood, so there would be little reason to study this in practice by releasing organic material into space.    A related concern is that astronauts in space were hit by cosmic rays and long term exposure wouldn't be healthy for a living person.   The space shuttle is largely shielded because it's inside Earth's magnetic field, but outside of that, radiation shielding becomes a problem that needs to be addressed.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-26T11:29:59.480Z
Thanks for taking the time to write your answer. Exactly the answer I was looking for.
Shimmy Weitzhandler
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-19T23:45:29.960Z
2017-10-19T23:45:29.960Z
userLTK
<p>Since there is no bacteria and oxygen in space, what will happen to a dead chicken's body if released into space?  </p>

<p>Assuming it's far enough for any nearby planet to collide with, will it rot? Freeze forever?  </p>

<p>Should we release the chicken into intergalactic space, will that change anything?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-19T02:46:07.950Z
How big a chicken?   https://i.ytimg.com/vi/67HDq76vWYk/maxresdefault.jpg   If an animal is large enough it will freeze on the outside but rot on the inside, usually leading to explosion.   This happens with beached whales.    But in cold space, far away from any stars, it would freeze.   Space is cold.   And, no, we don't have to release a dead chicken into space to know what would happen.
userLTK
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-19T10:39:59.387Z
@userLTK haha nice chick... I meant organic material in space in general. Chicken was a mere example.
Shimmy Weitzhandler
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-19T12:57:03.110Z
A molecule will be subject to degradation because of cosmic rays. I mean you could wait for chemical changes, if this was the question. A  rubber /  plastic pipe will be brittle faster than on earth, to give an example.
Alchimista
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-19T13:56:53.303Z
I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because if anything it belongs on what-if.xkcd.com
Carl Witthoft
CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-10-19T14:19:18.903Z
@CarlWitthoft most likely, but I think in Earth orbit, we might end up with a fried / deep frozen chicken in 45 minute intervals.
Adwaenyth
<amateur-observing><space>
What happens to organic material in space
Shimmy Weitzhandler
# What happens to organic material in space

(Asked by: username_0 on 2017-10-19)

Since there is no bacteria and oxygen in space, what will happen to a dead chicken's body if released into space?

Assuming it's far enough for any nearby planet to collide with, will it rot? Freeze forever?

Should we release the chicken into intergalactic space, will that change anything?

**Tags:** amateur-observing, space

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: How big a chicken?   https://i.ytimg.com/vi/67HDq76vWYk/maxresdefault.jpg   If an animal is large enough it will freeze on the outside but rot on the inside, usually leading to explosion.   This happens with beached whales.    But in cold space, far away from any stars, it would freeze.   Space is cold.   And, no, we don't have to release a dead chicken into space to know what would happen.  
> **username_0**: @username_1 haha nice chick... I meant organic material in space in general. Chicken was a mere example.  
> **username_2**: A molecule will be subject to degradation because of cosmic rays. I mean you could wait for chemical changes, if this was the question. A  rubber /  plastic pipe will be brittle faster than on earth, to give an example.  
> **username_3**: I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because if anything it belongs on what-if.xkcd.com  
> **username_4**: @username_3 most likely, but I think in Earth orbit, we might end up with a fried / deep frozen chicken in 45 minute intervals.  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2017-10-19. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

I think I understand the spirit of this question and I'll touch some of the basics.

Space is, obviously, mostly, but not entirely empty. There's space dust and gas particles bouncing around in what we would call a near perfect vacuum on Earth, but there are still some particles out there, mostly hydrogen and helium, but a disburse scattering of other particles too. In "empty" space, those collisions would be pretty close to negligible over the short term. Bombarding an organic material with hydrogen (very very slowly) and the occasional helium or alpha particle would affect it gradually. I have no idea the time scale though. It might still look very much the same after 1,000 years. Stuff would break down in space very very slowly. Much slower than on Earth where we have wind, water and bacteria.

Even if it was struck by a coronal mass ejection from the sun, the particles are disburse enough that it wouldn't make much visible difference, though charged hyrogen, alpha particles and electrons would make some chemical changes. It might grow somewhat carcinagenic, after being struck by a CME but the effects wouldn't be visible.

The major effect would be from photons. An object in Earth's orbit, facing the sun would get quite hot, like the surface of the Moon. This heating is almost entirely from the Sun's light. It's temperature would depend on it's color and how much light was absorbed vs reflected. (look up albedo and black body temperature for more info) but a chicken in orbit around the Earth would cook, somewhat slowly, it might take a few hours or maybe the better part of a day, cause one side would be hot the other side cold. The rate of rotation would matter too. Ideally it would rotate very very slowly, so that the side facing the sun would have time to warm up. One rotation every 2-3 hours might work. If it rotates too fast it might never get enough heat to cook on the inside.

It's also not a good method of cooking cause the UV rays would make some chemical changes and probably make it carcinogenic.

In space, there's no conduction or convection (the primary methods of heat exchange on Earth). Any heating/cooking would come from light from a nearby star and enough light will cook a chicken.

In deep space, far from any stars, it would freeze. You know how water feels colder then air when they are the same temperature - that's because of convection. Touching the water pulls heat out of you more effectively than air. Similarly, a chicken will cook faster in 212 degree water than 212 degree air. In space, there's no convection into empty space (if you ignore the unpleasant vacuum effect), it wouldn't feel as cold as very cold air, but your body would still lose heat by radiation and so it would freeze.

As I pointed out above, any decay by cosmic rays, once frozen would be very very slow. Perhaps millions of years.

That's the gist of it. I think that addresses the spirit of your question. These processes are well understood, so there would be little reason to study this in practice by releasing organic material into space. A related concern is that astronauts in space were hit by cosmic rays and long term exposure wouldn't be healthy for a living person. The space shuttle is largely shielded because it's inside Earth's magnetic field, but outside of that, radiation shielding becomes a problem that needs to be addressed.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: Thanks for taking the time to write your answer. Exactly the answer I was looking for.  

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