Glossary term: Atmósfera
Description: La atmósfera es una capa de gas que rodea un cuerpo celeste. Se mantiene gracias a la atracción gravitatoria del cuerpo celeste, por lo que es más densa en la superficie y se funde con el espacio interplanetario a gran altitud.
En los planetas con superficies sólidas o líquidas, el límite inferior de la atmósfera es claro. Las estrellas tienen interiores gaseosos, por lo que no tienen un límite inferior claro para sus atmósferas. Una atmósfera estelar se refiere normalmente a la capa gaseosa exterior de una estrella a través de la cual la luz del interior viaja hacia el espacio.
El campo magnético de un planeta puede proteger su atmósfera de una rápida disipación en el espacio a causa del viento solar o estelar. En el caso de la Tierra, también protege a todos los organismos de los daños genéticos debidos a los efectos nocivos del viento solar y los rayos cósmicos.
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See this term in other languages
Term and definition status: The original definition of this term in English have been approved by a research astronomer and a teacher The translation of this term and its definition is still awaiting approval
The OAE Multilingual Glossary is a project of the IAU Office of Astronomy for Education (OAE) in collaboration with the IAU Office of Astronomy Outreach (OAO). The terms and definitions were chosen, written and reviewed by a collective effort from the OAE, the OAE Centers and Nodes, the OAE National Astronomy Education Coordinators (NAECs) and other volunteers. You can find a full list of credits here. All glossary terms and their definitions are released under a Creative Commons CC BY-4.0 license and should be credited to "IAU OAE".
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In Other Languages
- Árabe: الغلاف الجوي
- Alemán: Atmosphäre
- Inglés: Atmosphere
- Francés: Atmosphère
- Italiano: Atmosfera
- Coreano: 대기
- Portugués de Brasil: Atmosfera
- Chino simplificado: 大气层
- Chino tradicional: 大氣層
Related Media
Moon and Earth's thin atmosphere
Caption: Taken from the International Space Station (ISS), approximately 400 kilometers above the ground, the picture shows the Moon far in the background and Earth's thin atmosphere. It appears blue as light in this wavelength is scattered more than in others by the gases in the upper layers. The photo was taken in March 2015 by a crew member. Clearly visible is the vanishingly small layer of gases compared to Earth's dimensions. There is no clear border between the atmosphere and space; it is a smooth transition with no sharp edges. The thickness to the upper limit of the stratosphere, roughly 50 kilometers, does not even amount to one percent of Earth's radius. Above 600 kilometers, particles reaching the critical escape velocity can leave into space. The total mass of the atmosphere is around 300 times less than that of all oceans combined or one million times less than Earth's total mass.
Credit: Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center
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License: PD Public Domain icons
Atmosphere of Venus
Caption: This image of Venus was captured in ultraviolet light by the Pioneer Venus Orbiter and highlights features of the planet’s thick atmosphere that are not visible in ordinary light. Venus has a dense, cloudy atmosphere composed mainly of carbon dioxide. In ultraviolet wavelengths, patterns in the upper cloud layers become visible, revealing swirling structures and bright and dark bands caused by differences in the composition and motion of the atmosphere. These ultraviolet features help scientists map wind patterns, atmospheric circulation, and cloud dynamics high above Venus’s surface.
Unlike Earth’s atmosphere, which is relatively transparent in visible light, Venus’s atmosphere is so thick that no direct view of the surface is possible from space without special instruments. The extreme pressure and temperature near Venus’s surface are consequences of this dense gaseous envelope, making Venus a dramatic example of how different planetary atmospheres can be. This image demonstrates how observing a planet’s atmosphere in different wavelengths, such as ultraviolet, reveals details about its structure and behaviour.
Credit: NASA
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License: PD Public Domain icons
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