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)
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Close Call: Ozone Hole Nearly Opens Over ArcticUnusually cold weather in the stratosphere destroys 40 percent of the Arctic ozone layer.
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Exotic Microbes Played Role in Early Earth's Atmosphere, Study SuggestsThe microbes munch on toxic gas.
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How Vital Is a Planet's Magnetic Field? New Debate RisesDoes our magnetic field really shield Earth from the solar wind?
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Arctic May Face Record Loss of Ozone This SpringLingering CFCs continue to menace the Arctic ozone layer.
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Tsunamis Send Mysterious Waves into Earth's Atmosphere, TooAtmospheric waves generated by tsunamis could be used to warn of monster waves.
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Tsunamis Send Mysterious Waves into AtmosphereAtmospheric waves generated by tsunamis could be used to warn of monster waves.
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Solar-Powered UAV Can Stay Aloft for YearsCan it replace satellites?
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Infographic: Earth's Atmosphere Top to BottomWhat's up there, from the surface to the edge of space.
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Hurricanes Shoot Water Ice into the StratosphereHurricanes and other tropical cyclones inject ice far into the stratosphere.
