Find a term from the labs, understand the process behind it, and see how it appears in the landscape. Each entry connects an explanation with a real observation and a model you can explore.
Term
Thermosphere
The very thin atmospheric layer above roughly 85 km where kinetic temperature generally rises with altitude as gases absorb energetic solar radiation. Much auroral activity occurs here.
What to look for
An ISS photograph of aurora north of Antarctica. Energetic particles excite upper-atmosphere gases; the green light is emitted by the atmosphere, not reflected sunlight.
