• frongt@lemmy.zip
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    4 days ago

    Hard to say. For a small plant with low water content, I could imagine that it would be effectively cryogenically preserved, meaning indefinitely. An aloe or other succulent, for example, would freeze and die. But maybe a stem cutting or woody plant might survive. Or a moss or lichen (though lichen aren’t plants). Assuming it doesn’t get baked by unfiltered sunlight or destroyed by high-energy radiation.

    • Couldbealeotard@lemmy.world
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      3 days ago

      Things don’t freeze in space. It’s actually very hard to lose heat in space because a vacuum is a very good insulator. If it’s in direct sunlight it’ll get hot.

      Also to freeze you need moisture, which typically boils off in a vacuum.

      • CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org
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        1 day ago

        It’s a nitpick, but boiling causes cooling. If you dump water into space you actually do get a mix of ice and steam/vapour.

        Otherwise, yes. If we assume most of the water is still inside the plant it will take some time to cool.