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Blue light is scattered more than other wavelengths by the gases in the atmosphere, surrounding Earth in a visibly blue layer at the stratosphere, above the clouds of the troposphere, when seen from space on board the ISS at an altitude of 335 km (208 mi) (the Moon is visible as a crescent in the far background).
An atmosphere (from Ancient Greek ἀτμός (atmós) 'vapour, steam' and σφαῖρα (sphaîra) 'sphere') [1] is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low.
This type of atmosphere loss may be common to all planets orbiting Sun-like stars closer than around 0.1 AU. [54] In addition to hydrogen, carbon, and oxygen, HD 209458 b is thought to have water vapor in its atmosphere. [55] [56] [57] Sodium and water vapour has also been observed in the atmosphere of HD 189733 b, [58] [59] another hot gas ...
Earth orbits the Sun, making Earth the third-closest planet to the Sun and part of the inner Solar System. Earth's average orbital distance is about 150 million km (93 million mi), which is the basis for the astronomical unit (AU) and is equal to roughly 8.3 light minutes or 380 times Earth's distance to the Moon.
The discovery that GJ 1132b has an atmosphere is a key step in the search for life outside our solar system. Scientists confirm 'Earth-like' planet with atmosphere discovered 39 light-years from Earth
The composition of Jupiter's atmosphere is similar to that of the planet as a whole. [1] Jupiter's atmosphere is the most comprehensively understood of those of all the giant planets because it was observed directly by the Galileo atmospheric probe when it entered the Jovian atmosphere on December 7, 1995. [28]
Mercury, being the closest to the Sun, with a weak magnetic field and the smallest mass of the recognized terrestrial planets, has a very tenuous and highly variable atmosphere (surface-bound exosphere) containing hydrogen, helium, oxygen, sodium, calcium, potassium and water vapor, with a combined pressure level of about 10 −14 bar (1 nPa). [2]
Ozone in turn is photolysed much more rapidly than molecular oxygen as it has a stronger absorption that occurs at longer wavelengths, where the solar emission is more intense. Ozone (O 3) photolysis produces O and O 2. The oxygen atom product combines with atmospheric molecular oxygen to reform O 3, releasing heat. The rapid photolysis and ...