plasmasphere

[ plaz-muh-sfeer ]

noun

, Astronomy.

1. a region of cool plasma surrounding the earth, extending 8000–25,000 miles (13,000–40,000 km) into space, and bounded by the plasmapause.

Word History and Origins

Origin of plasmasphere¹

First recorded in 1965–70; plasma + -sphere

Example Sentences

As the plume rises from the ionosphere, it extends the boundary of its plasmasphere origin toward the magnetopause.

From Science Magazine

The solar-powered rover will survey the moon's geological structures and set up a telescope to survey the surface as well as observe the Earth's plasmasphere, a region of dense, cold plasma that surrounds the planet, Xinhua said.

From US News

The solar-powered rover will survey the moon's geological structures and set up a telescope to survey the surface as well as observe the Earth's plasmasphere, a region of dense, cold plasma that surrounds the planet, Xinhua said.

From US News

He never figured out exactly what caused these “whistlers,” but a series of scientific discoveries demonstrated that the sounds had to do with lightning traveling through the plasmasphere — or ionized gas cloud — that floats in space far above the Earth’s surface.

From Washington Post

That’s because it’s in large part shielded from high-energy particles by the plasmasphere, which is a cloud of plasma that is part of the Earth’s magnetosphere.

From Forbes