Earth's Atmosphere

The Space Shuttle Endeavour silhouetted against the atmosphere.
Silhouetted against Earth's atmosphere, the Space Shuttle Endeavour cuts a striking figure in this 2010 photo taken from the International Space Station. The shuttle approaches the station against a backdrop of the layers of the atmosphere. The blue layer directly behind the shuttle is the mesosphere, and the white layer is the stratosphere. Below that is Earth's troposphere, the lowest portion of the atmosphere, seen in orange. (Image credit: Expedition 22 Crew, NASA)

Earth's atmosphere is about 78 percent nitrogen, 21 percent oxygen, with trace amounts of water, argon, carbon dioxide and other gases. The exact composition, as well as the temperature and pressure of the atmosphere, varies with its height. The atmosphere is divided into layers: The troposphere is the lowest layer and extends from Earth's surface up to a height of about 30 miles (48 kilometers); it is where most of Earth's weather occurs. Above the troposphere is the stratosphere, where the ultraviolet-blocking ozone layer is found. Above that is the mesosphere, the thermosphere and the ionosphere. Earth's atmosphere is home to different types of clouds, the auroras, different types of lightning.

Latest about earth atmosphere

Two flashes on the GOES-17 Lightning Mapper aren't lightning, but a meteor trail and explosion.

Exploding meteor startles Utah

By Stephanie Pappas published

A loud explosion heard Saturday (Aug. 13) in Utah may have been an exploding Perseid meteor.

skyglow steve

Eerie Sky Glow Called 'Steve' Isn't an Aurora, Is 'Completely Unknown' to Science

By Brandon Specktor last updated

There is a beautiful mystery in the sky, and its name is Steve.

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Mystery of Weird Sky-Glow Named 'STEVE' Finally Solved

By Mindy Weisberger last updated

Enigmatic STEVE is somewhat like an aurora...and somewhat different.

the antennas of the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), set against the splendour of the Milky Way

Why do stars twinkle?

By Colin Stuart published

Stars appear to twinkle because the light from these distant objects passes through wobbly air in the atmosphere.

This image is a digital enhancement of a NASA image of Earth’s atmosphere.

New, extremely reactive chemical discovered in the atmosphere

By Tom Metcalfe published

Millions of tons of a type of extremely reactive chemical can form in the atmosphere each year, with implications for health and the global climate.

Image of Earth's atmosphere and space

Where does Earth end and outer space begin?

By Joe Phelan published

The atmosphere is vast and parts of it extend beyond the moon. But where does it technically end, according to scientists?

Glaciers in modern-day Antarctica. The early oxygenation of Earth may have triggered ice ages that covered the surface of the Earth with glaciers like these.

Earth nearly lost all its oxygen 2.3 billion years ago

By Stephanie Pappas published

The permanent oxygenation of Earth's atmosphere took twice as long as previously believed and finally finished up to 100 million years later than expected.

An artist's rendition of the early Earth environment. Lightning generated by storms and volcanic plumes frequently strikes volcanic rocks. The lightning strikes create fulgurites which contain phosphorus in a form that can be dissolved in water and concentrate in waters like volcanic ponds. Here, the phosphorus is able to form biomolecules which help lead to the emergence of life.

Billions of lightning bolts may have jump-started life on Earth, study suggests

By Brandon Specktor published

Lightning storms on early Earth may have given the planet enough phosphorus to craft the first DNA and RNA molecules, study suggests

This photograph of the Tycho supernova remnant was taken by the Chandra X-ray Observatory. Low-energy X-rays (red) in the image show expanding debris from the supernova explosion and high energy X-rays (blue) show the blast wave, a shell of extremely energetic electrons.

Supernova explosions may have helped shape Earth's climate history

By Mike Wall published

The evidence is tentative but intriguing.

The ozone hole (blue) can be seen here over Antarctica on Oct. 4, 2019.

Ozone Hole Over Antarctica Shrinks to Record-Small Size

By Jeanna Bryner published

The ozone hole over Antarctica has shrunk to its smallest size yet. Here's why.

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