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
Courtesy of NASA
The Thermosphere
The thermosphere is the fourth layer of the Earth's atmosphere. It is found
above the mesosphere. The air is really thin that high up. The
temperature changes with the
solar
activity. If the sun is active, temperatures in the thermosphere can
get up to 1,500°C or higher!
The Earth's thermosphere also includes the region called the
ionosphere.
You might also be interested in:
This is the temperature profile of Jupiter's thermosphere. The thermosphere is the other region of the atmosphere where warming takes place. On Jupiter, incoming particles from the magnetosphere play a
...more
This is the temperature profile of Uranus' thermosphere. The thermosphere is the other region of the atmosphere where warming takes place. On Uranus, incoming particles from the magnetosphere play a strong
...more
Triton is the largest moon of Neptune. It isn't quite as big as Earth's Moon. The surface of Triton is very, very cold. It is colder than the surface of any other planet or moon in our Solar System. It
...more
Some satellites study Earth from space. Some of them study our atmosphere and weather. Some take pictures of clouds. Others use special instruments to make measurements of temperature, humidity, or the
...more
Rainbows appear in the sky when there is bright sunlight and rain. Sunlight is known as visible or white light and is actually a mixture of colors. The sun's rays pass through millions of raindrops. A
...more
It takes the Earth one year to travel around the sun one time. During this year, there are four seasons: summer, autumn, winter, and spring. Each season depends on the amount of sunlight reaching the
...more
Scientists sometimes travel in airplanes that carry weather instruments in order to gather data about the atmosphere. These research aircraft bring air from the outside into the plane so scientists can
...more
