Space Exploration Stack Exchange
Space Exploration Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [atmosphere]

Questions regarding an envelope of gasses surrounding a celestial body held in place by the body's gravity.

326 questions
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Is airglow always visible from space?

Looking at time lapses taken from the International Space Station, I discovered that the Earth's atmosphere can glow at night, even when it seems that those pictures were taken far away from auroras. Here are a few examples : Here is the origin…
Pop Flamingo
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What are the characteristics of the Earth's atmosphere near the Karman line and why?

I am wondering - what is the nature of the atmosphere in and around the transition to space at the Karman line? It is not difficult to find references using terms like "in the atmosphere" and "out of the atmosphere" as if there is some fairly clear…
orulz
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How does the sunlight affect the height of the atmosphere?

I was reading this question about how high a Mars balloon could go in the mars atmosphere. How much would the sunlight affect how high the atmosphere reaches? Is the atmosphere on Earth elongated on the side towards the sun due to increased…
Magic Octopus Urn
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Is the Standard Model of Atmosphere the same as NRLMSISE-00?

I keep reading about the standard atmosphere being a static model and related to the 1976 US standard model. The NRLMSISE seems like an atmospheric model, but I'm unsure if its an extension of the standard model with data for higher altitudes. fyi:…
Rajath Pai
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Double satellite flare on iridium 6

Last night here in Southern California, I was watching the flare of the Iridium 6, I use the Sputnik app to alert me. I was amazed when I saw not one but two bright lights tracking simultaneously.. One in front of the other. I have never seen this…
Gerri T
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Heavy gas artificial atmosphere on Ceres?

Is there any heavy enough gas that could be used to make an artificial atmosphere around Ceres without it escaping into space?
Anixx
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Flying in Thin Atmosphere

How thin could at atmosphere be before it could not be flown in using a modern plane? Does speed affect this to a reasonable degree?
OrangeRust
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the higher the altitude, the lower the molecular density of the compounds. why doesn't this apply to O, N and O3?

for them, behavior interference occurs from certain altitudes. What are these interferences? and why does this happen?
Joao Victor
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How Would the Atmosphere of a Space Settlement Consisting of Nitrogen and Oxygen Maintained?

It is said that NASA used 100-percent-Oxygen artificial atmosphere in their spacecrafts prior to Apollo 1. I do not understand how NASA planned to maintain this atmosphere, as even the human flatulence is composed of: Nitrogen: 20-90% Hydrogen:…
loceteg166
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How to derive wind variation equation in the planetary rotating atmosphere

In this picture is the equation of wind variation on rotating earth atmosphere. Does anyone know how to get this equation ? what is the basic idea ? Thank you
Elisa Fitri
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