The atmosphere is the gaseous mantle that surrounds a planet.
The atmosphere is the gaseous mantle that surrounds a planet or other type of astronomical object. The term comes from Greek, and is made up of two words from that language: atmos , which can be translated as "vapor" ; and sphaira , which is synonymous with "sphere" .
The most common use of the concept is linked to the Earth's atmosphere , that is, to the layer of gases that surrounds the Earth . For example: "The spacecraft remained outside the atmosphere for two months" , "The company was fined because its factory emitted polluting gases that damaged the atmosphere" , "This telescope will allow you to observe beyond the atmosphere" .
The gases that form an atmosphere are attracted to the celestial body due to the law of gravity . These gases remain around the body in question due to the attraction generated by gravity .
The Earth's atmosphere
In the case of the Earth's atmosphere , it measures more than a hundred kilometers. Most of its mass , however, is found in the ten kilometers closest to the planet's surface. Among the gases that make up the atmosphere are oxygen , nitrogen , methane , helium and carbon dioxide .
The presence of the atmosphere is essential for life to exist on our planet, since it regulates the temperature , absorbs a percentage of ultraviolet rays and protects the Earth from falling meteorites.
The atmosphere is key to temperature regulation.
The case of Mars
It should not be overlooked that there is also what is known as the atmosphere of Mars . As its name indicates, it is the atmosphere of the planet Mars, the fourth in the Solar System, and is identified by the following characteristics:
- It is composed of argon, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, water, methane and oxygen.
- Its atmospheric pressure varies between 30 Pa and 1155 Pa.
- It is light.
- As for its thickness, it can be said to be approximately 11 kilometers.
- The atmosphere of Mars is also composed of four different layers: the exosphere, the upper or thermosphere, the middle and the lower. The latter is characterized by being warm.
- There are many reasons why Mars differs from Earth. However, the main issue is that Mars contains much less gases than Earth.
Symbolic use of the notion of atmosphere
In a symbolic sense, the idea of atmosphere (the Royal Spanish Academy also accepts the term atmosfera , without an accent) allows us to name the influence exerted by a person or a thing, or the emotional tendency towards something: "In Argentine football there is always a violent atmosphere" , "I don't like the atmosphere of this party" .
In relation to this meaning, we have to point out that, in various countries around the world, it is used to give form to certain expressions or phrases. Thus, for example, in Cuba they say “form an atmosphere” to show that an absolutely unpleasant situation has been caused for one or more reasons.