Why does this keep happening?!

[MrPopcup]

Ok, I've got KSP .23, I have progressed quite a bit in Tech tree ( reached the 300 Science requirements to unlock ) and I got the Temperature Instrument and I went to the Mun, While in ORBIT I clicked on it and clicked on ( show log or something like that ) it told me that it can't do that or 'scan' the tempreature, it only works if you land, so is this a glitch or am I doing something wrong?

btw, really liking .23

Edited December 18, 2013 by MrPopcup

[blizzy78]

The thermometer does not work in space.

[MrPopcup]

ok But even if I landed on the Mun, I am in space, I mean, the Mun doesn't have an atmosphere so I'm in space.. ?

does that make any sense ?

[Vlk]

It is a feature. No point in checking the temperature at high mun orbit. But i believe that in the previous version, you could check the temperature on low orbit. The device itself should work, but you cant do science with it.

Edit: Mun radiates heat i think, so temperature reading might be interesting. Especially if you are in contact with the ground.

[Fett2oo5]

A temperature scan "in space" wouldn't be relevant to anything, you're just in the void. But on the surface of a body, you now have a frame of reference. So you would be able to say "the surface temperature on the Mun is _____."

There are also Biomes on the Mun so you can do additional Temp readings from each.

[MrPopcup]

Oh! now it makes sense! thanks for help everyone, I finally understood that..!

( I was curios if it's a bug with my game, because in 0.17-0.21 I still could do that. )

[Cepheus]

A temperature scan "in space" wouldn't be relevant to anything, you're just in the void. But on the surface of a body, you now have a frame of reference. So you would be able to say "the surface temperature on the Mun is _____."

There are also Biomes on the Mun so you can do additional Temp readings from each.

Well that's not exactly accurate: "the temperature X m away from the solar corona is YYYY Kelvins"