The Thermosphere

The thermosphere is the fourth layer of the Earth's atmosphere and is located above the mesosphere. The air is really thin in the thermosphere. A small change in energy can cause a large change in temperature. That's why the temperature is very sensitive to solar activity. When the sun is active, the thermosphere can heat up to 1,500°C or higher!

The Earth's thermosphere also includes the region of the atmosphere called the ionosphere. The ionosphere is a region of the atmosphere that is filled with charged particles. The high temperatures in the thermosphere can cause molecules to ionize. This is why an ionosphere and thermosphere can overlap.

This is an image of the space shuttle as it is orbiting around the Earth. The space shuttle orbits in the thermosphere of the Earth.
Click on image for full size (90K JPEG)
Image from: NASA

Last modified June 26, 2002 by the Windows Team

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