diff --git a/code/ATMOSPHERICS/datum_pipeline.dm b/code/ATMOSPHERICS/datum_pipeline.dm
index 0a4eac78e2..4ce388b844 100644
--- a/code/ATMOSPHERICS/datum_pipeline.dm
+++ b/code/ATMOSPHERICS/datum_pipeline.dm
@@ -200,9 +200,13 @@ datum/pipeline
 		if(network)
 			network.update = 1
 
-	proc/radiate_heat(surface, thermal_conductivity)
+	//surface must be the surface area in m^2
+	proc/radiate_heat_to_space(surface, thermal_conductivity)
 		var/total_heat_capacity = air.heat_capacity()
-		var/heat = STEFAN_BOLTZMANN_CONSTANT * surface * air.temperature ** 4 * thermal_conductivity
-		air.temperature = max(0, air.temperature - heat / total_heat_capacity)
+		
+		//if the h/e pipes radiate less than the AVERAGE_SOLAR_RADIATION, then they will heat up, otherwise they will cool down. It turns out the critical temperature is -26 C
+		var/heat_gain = surface*(AVERAGE_SOLAR_RADIATION - STEFAN_BOLTZMANN_CONSTANT*thermal_conductivity*(air.temperature - COSMIC_RADIATION_TEMPERATURE) ** 4)
+		
+		air.add_thermal_energy(heat_gain)
 		if(network)
 			network.update = 1
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/code/ATMOSPHERICS/he_pipes.dm b/code/ATMOSPHERICS/he_pipes.dm
index a8e7e06bad..607e974ee4 100644
--- a/code/ATMOSPHERICS/he_pipes.dm
+++ b/code/ATMOSPHERICS/he_pipes.dm
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ obj/machinery/atmospherics/pipe/simple/heat_exchanging
 	icon_state = "intact"
 	level = 2
 	var/initialize_directions_he
-	var/surface = 2
+	var/surface = 2	//surface area in m^2
 
 	minimum_temperature_difference = 20
 	thermal_conductivity = OPEN_HEAT_TRANSFER_COEFFICIENT
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ obj/machinery/atmospherics/pipe/simple/heat_exchanging
 				var/datum/gas_mixture/pipe_air = return_air()
 				if(abs(environment_temperature-pipe_air.temperature) > minimum_temperature_difference)
 					parent.temperature_interact(loc, volume, thermal_conductivity)
-			else
-				parent.radiate_heat(surface, 1)
+			else if(istype(loc, /turf/space/))
+				parent.radiate_heat_to_space(surface, 1)
 
 
 obj/machinery/atmospherics/pipe/simple/heat_exchanging/junction
diff --git a/code/setup.dm b/code/setup.dm
index 12d81c637d..f5b680ee3e 100644
--- a/code/setup.dm
+++ b/code/setup.dm
@@ -6,10 +6,13 @@
 
 #define R_IDEAL_GAS_EQUATION	8.31 //kPa*L/(K*mol)
 #define ONE_ATMOSPHERE		101.325	//kPa
-
-#define STEFAN_BOLTZMANN_CONSTANT 0.0000000567	//W/(m^2*K^4)
 #define IDEAL_GAS_ENTROPY_CONSTANT 	1164	//(mol^3 * s^3) / (kg^3 * L). Equal to (4*pi/(avrogadro's number * planck's constant)^2)^(3/2) / (avrogadro's number * 1000 Liters per m^3).
 
+//radiation constants
+#define STEFAN_BOLTZMANN_CONSTANT		0.0000000567	//W/(m^2*K^4)
+#define COSMIC_RADIATION_TEMPERATURE	3.15		//K
+#define AVERAGE_SOLAR_RADIATION			200			//W/m^2. Kind of arbitrary. Really this should depend on the sun position much like solars.
+
 #define CELL_VOLUME 2500	//liters in a cell
 #define MOLES_CELLSTANDARD (ONE_ATMOSPHERE*CELL_VOLUME/(T20C*R_IDEAL_GAS_EQUATION))	//moles in a 2.5 m^3 cell at 101.325 Pa and 20 degC