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Earth's System: The Atmosphere
Thermosphere and Beyond
Description
Thermosphere and Beyond
The thermosphere is one of the uppermost layers of Earth’s atmosphere. It begins around 53 miles above Earth and can stretch up to 373 miles or more. In this layer, temperatures can rise above 2,000°C (3,600°F) because of the Sun’s powerful radiation. Even though it’s ext...
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Transcript
The thermosphere is the second-highest layer of the atmosphere, starting above the mesosphere and extending outward to about 375 miles from Earth’s surface. It’s where the International Space Station and many satellites orbit Earth.
The temperature increases in this layer as you go higher because solar radiation heats the gas molecules. Ne...
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