![]() It's an infinitesimal amount of air when compared to Earth's atmosphere. Recent studies confirm that our moon does indeed have an atmosphere consisting of some unusual gases, including sodium and potassium, which are not found in the atmospheres of Earth, Mars or Venus. According to NASA's Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer website: NOAA NESDISĮarth has weather because the troposphere is relatively thick, contains water, and hosts a complex display of fluid and thermodynamic interactions. The graphic below, provided by NOAA, summarizes the layers and some interesting things that happen within them. According to NOAA's satellite division, this is the location of many low earth-orbiting satellites. Beyond the thermosphere, the exosphere is found. If you are an astronaut, this is also the layer in which you might start to feel the sensation of weightless. This layer is also the home to the auroras. ![]() The very high temperatures are because of the high kinetic energy of the molecules, but it would not feel warm because there are very few molecular collisions. Even at those temperatures it would feel cold to our skin due to the "thinness" of the atmosphere. Temperatures range from -184 degrees F to several thousands of degrees F. Between 51 and 400 miles is a strange layer called the thermosphere. This layer can have temperatures as cold as -120 degrees F according to NOAA. The mesosphere is 30 to 51 miles above the surface. It is also a layer that increases in temperature with altitude because of the UV absorption. The ozone layer, which protects us from harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, is in the stratosphere. The tropopause is the transition region between the troposphere and stratosphere. About 75-80% of the mass of our atmosphere is within the troposphere and most of the moisture too.īetween 7 and 31 miles above the ground (on average), we find the stratosphere. It extends up to roughly 6-7 miles (~10 km), but that height can vary according according to altitude (lower in polar regions) and season (lower in winter). Most of us will never leave the troposphere. ![]() It defines an atmosphere as "A gaseous envelope gravitationally bound to a celestial body (e.g., a planet, its satellite, or a star)." The atmosphere of Earth is divided into several layers. The American Meteorological Society Glossary of Meteorology is one of my favorite resources. Does our moon even have an atmosphere? It is tempting to say "no." However, a better answer is "sort of." Before we dig deeper, it is instructive to define "atmosphere" and describe the Earth's atmospheric structure. To answer that question, we have to answer another one.
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