mesosphere
Above the stratosphere
The mesosphere is the layer of Earth's atmosphere above the stratosphere and below the thermosphere, roughly 50 to 85 kilometers above sea level.
It's where meteors burn up, creating shooting stars.
Temperatures drop with altitude, reaching the coldest in the atmosphere at its upper boundary.
The term also applies to the rigid layer of Earth's mantle beneath the asthenosphere.
Mesosphere's upper limit
- airglowAtmospheric nocturnal luminescence
- gravity wavesPropagating spacetime distortions
- ozone layerAtmospheric UV filter
- temperature inversionWarm layer over cold
Visible meteors entering atmosphere
- fireballsBrilliant burning meteors
- bolidesExceptionally bright meteors
- cosmic dustMicroscopic particles pervading space
- meteor showersVisible atmospheric debris streams
Solid water formations
- water vaporH₂O in gaseous state
- cloud formationIdentifiable sky pattern
Monitoring from orbit
- remote sensingGathering data without contact
- atmospheric scienceStudy of Earth's atmosphere
mesopause
Mesosphere's upper limit
- airglowAtmospheric nocturnal luminescence
- gravity wavesPropagating spacetime distortions
- ozone layerAtmospheric UV filter
shooting stars
Visible meteors entering atmosphere
- fireballsBrilliant burning meteors
- bolidesExceptionally bright meteors
- cosmic dustMicroscopic particles pervading space
ice crystals
Solid water formations
- water vaporH₂O in gaseous state
- cloud formationIdentifiable sky pattern
satellite observation
Monitoring from orbit
- remote sensingGathering data without contact
- atmospheric scienceStudy of Earth's atmosphere
- atmosphereair, humidity, temperature, oxygen, ozone layer
- spacespace, sun, moon, stars, star
- earth scienceearthquake, geology, volcano, crust, eruption
- meteorologyweather, rain, wind, snow, clouds
- layerscanopy layer, paper sheets, veneer, laminate, cloud layer
- planetary atmospheresatmospheric layers, clouds, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, argon
mesospheretroposphere
Lowest atmospheric layer
thermosphere · ground level · sea level · lower atmosphere · stratosphere
sphere, atmosphere, hemisphere, biosphere, stratosphere, meson, exosphere, troposphere, mesoderm