78+ Exosphere Facts: Understand Earth's Atmosphere In Detail

Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason
Oct 25, 2023 By Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason
Originally Published on Jan 19, 2022
Exosphere facts will tell you more about the different layers of the atmosphere.
?
Age: 3-18
Read time: 5.5 Min

The exosphere is the outermost layer of the Earth's atmosphere.

'Exo' means 'outside,' and it's the identical prefix wont to identify insects with a tough shell or 'exoskeleton' on the outside of their bodies, like grasshoppers. The upper boundary of the exosphere is where the Earth's gravity starts to fade, and the interplanetary space starts.

The exosphere is the outermost region of our atmosphere, and this layer separates the rest of the atmosphere from interplanetary space. It's approximately 6213.7 mi (10,000 km) thick, nearly as big as Earth itself. The exosphere contains gasses such as hydrogen and helium, although they're widely dispersed.

After reading interesting exosphere facts about the upper boundary and lower boundary of the exosphere, also check out 20+ Incredible mesosphere facts for kids and 40 Unbelievable but true troposphere facts.

What is the exosphere?

The exosphere is the outermost layer of the Earth's atmosphere, which progressively vanishes into space. The air within the exosphere is exceedingly thin, and it resembles the airless nothingness of location in many respects. Read on for some of the most exciting exosphere facts:

The thermosphere is the layer directly underneath the exosphere, and therefore the thermopause is the barrier between the two layers of the atmosphere. The exobase may be a term accustomed to describing the underside of the exosphere. The lower fringe of the exosphere includes a variable altitude.

When the Sun is active round the top of the sunspot cycle, X-rays and actinic radiation from the Sun heat and 'puff up' the thermosphere, boosting the thermopause's altitude to roughly 621.4 mi (1000 km) above layer.

Radiation is not as intense, and also, the thermopause recedes to within 310.7 mi (500 km) of Earth's surface when the Sun is a smaller amount active at the low point of the sunspot cycle.

Scientists are divided on whether the exosphere is an element of the atmosphere. Some scientists believe that the thermosphere is the topmost layer of the Earth's atmosphere, while the exosphere is solely space. On the opposite hand, other scientists regard the exosphere to be a component of our planet's atmosphere.

How many layers are there in Earth's atmosphere?

The Earth's atmosphere is split into five layers and has many minor levels. The five layers are the troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere, from lowest to highest.

Troposphere: The troposphere stretches from the surface to a height of roughly 7.5 mi (12 km), with a lower height within the poles and a better height from the equator. Despite its shallowness, this layer is chargeable for storing all of the oxygen plants and animals require for photosynthesis.

It is also 99% of all vapor and aerosols (minute solid or liquid particles suspended within the atmosphere).

Because most of the warmth within the troposphere is formed by the transfer of energy from the Earth's surface, temperatures within the troposphere tend to drop as you travel higher. The troposphere is the densest layer of the atmosphere, and it's squeezed by the load of the atmosphere above it.

Stratosphere: The stratosphere is home to Earth's ozonosphere, which protects humans from the Sun's damaging UV radiation. It's located between 7.5-31.1 mi (12-50 km) above the planet's surface.

The upper you travel into the stratosphere, the more the UV radiation, and therefore the warmer the temperatures get. Although the stratosphere is virtually cloud-free and weather-free, polar stratospheric clouds can occasionally be seen at their lowest, coldest levels. It is also where jets may fly to the very best point within the atmosphere.

Mesosphere: The mesosphere is found between 31.1-49.7 mi (50-80 km) above Earth's surface and grows colder with height. Under certain conditions and at specific times of day, very rare water vapor is present at the highest level of the mesosphere.

This vapor further generates noctilucent clouds, the tallest clouds within the Earth's atmosphere, which might be seen with the eye. The bulk of meteors are burnt up while traveling through this layer of the atmosphere.

Thermosphere: The thermosphere is found between 49.7-435 mi (80-700 km) above the surface and includes the lowest point of the ionosphere. Thanks to the relative molecule's density during this layer, temperatures rise with altitude.

Exosphere: The exosphere is the highest layer of Earth's atmosphere, located between 435-6,213.7 mi (700-10,000 km) above the surface and merging with the solar radiation at its summit. Because the molecules during this layer have a real tenuity, they don't act like a gas, and particles escape into space.

exosphere is the outermost layer of the Earth's atmosphere

Fun Facts About The Exosphere

Here are some of the most fun facts about the exosphere which will help you better understand the air in the exosphere: -

The exosphere is present between 435-6,213.7 mi (700-10,000 km) in the atmosphere.

The exosphere is the planet's first line of protection against the Sun's radiation and cosmic rays, despite being the highest distant layer of the atmosphere. It is also the primary layer to come back into touch with meteorites, asteroids, and radiation, shielding the world.

The exosphere's temperature fluctuates widely, from 32 F (0 C) to over 3092 F (1700 C). At night it's cooler, and through the dirt is considerably hotter.

The air in the exosphere is extremely thin, consisting primarily of helium and hydrogen. Other gases, like atomic oxygen and carbonic acid gas, also can be detected in trace amounts.

Exosphere's top level is the furthest location from Earth that is still impacted by gravity. On the other hand, this distance would be halfway to the moon and is just deemed accurate in a technical sense.

If the exosphere's border is defined as the point still impacted by Earth's gravity, the exosphere would be the best section of the planet's atmosphere. The thermosphere is the most significant section of Earth's atmosphere if the exosphere's border is believed to be around 6213.7 mi (10,000 km) from Earth'sth's surface, as many think.

The geocorona is the name for the portion of the exosphere visible from Earth.

Gravity pulls most of the chemicals that dwell within the exosphere backEarth'sth's lower atmospheric regions. Solar wind storms compress the exosphere, causing pressure to make up.

Beyond the world, the exosphere stretches into a black/dark blue zone, while the mesosphere is blue, and also the hazy stratosphere and troposphere are closer to the bottom.

Because the exosphere's air is so thin, molecules don't clash as they do within the lower levels of the atmosphere.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created many interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Exosphere facts, then why not take a look at 20+ Incredible mesosphere facts for kids or 40 Unbelievable but true troposphere facts?

We Want Your Photos!
We Want Your Photos!

We Want Your Photos!

Do you have a photo you are happy to share that would improve this article?
Email your photos

More for You

See All

Written by Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason

Bachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.

Adekunle Olanrewaju Jason picture

Adekunle Olanrewaju JasonBachelor of Science specializing in Mass Communication.

With over 3+ years of professional experience, Olanrewaju is a certified SEO Specialist and Content Writer. He holds a BSc in Mass Communication from the University of Lagos. Throughout his dynamic career, Olanrewaju has successfully taken on various roles with startups and established organizations. He has served as a Technical Writer, Blogger, SEO Specialist, Social Media Manager, and Digital Marketing Manager. Known for his hardworking nature and insightful approach, Olanrewaju is dedicated to continuous learning and improvement.
Read full bio >