What Does Exosphere Mean?

The exosphere is a thin, atmosphere-like volume surrounding a planet or natural satellite where molecules are gravitationally bound to that body, but where the density is so low that the molecules are essentially collisionless.

What does the name exosphere mean?

The exosphere is the outermost layer of our atmosphere. “Exo” means outside and is the same prefix used to describe insects like grasshoppers that have a hard shell or “exoskeleton” on the outside of their body. The exosphere is the very edge of our atmosphere.

What does the exosphere do?

Although the exosphere is the most distance layer of earth's atmosphere it is the layer that is the planet's first line of defense against the sun's rays. It is also the first layer to come into contact and protect the earth from meteors, asteroids, and cosmic rays.