chromosphere

[ kroh-muh-sfeer ]

noun

, Astronomy.

1. a scarlet, gaseous envelope surrounding the sun outside the photosphere, from which enormous quantities of hydrogen and other gases are erupted.
2. a gaseous envelope surrounding a star.

chromosphere

/ ˈkrəʊməˌsfɪə; ˌkrəʊməˈsfɛrɪk /

noun

1. a gaseous layer of the sun's atmosphere extending from the photosphere to the corona and visible during a total eclipse of the sun

chromosphere

/ krō′mə-sfîr′ /

1. A glowing, transparent layer of gas surrounding the photosphere of a star. The Sun's chromosphere is several thousand kilometers thick, is composed mainly of hydrogen at temperatures of 6,000° to 20,000°K, and gives off reddish light.

Derived Forms

• chromospheric, adjective

Other Words From

• chro·mo·spher·ic [kroh-m, uh, -, sfer, -ik, -, sfeer, -], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of chromosphere¹

First recorded in 1865–70; chromo- + -sphere

Example Sentences

And last month the agency released the first-ever full-disk images of the Sun in wavelengths ranging from 200 to 400 nanometres, saying they provided "insights into the intricate details of the Sun's photosphere and chromosphere".

From BBC

The spacecraft is equipped with seven payloads to study the sun’s corona, chromosphere, photosphere and solar wind, the Indian Space Research Organization said.

From Seattle Times

“We saw the material moving out through the chromosphere in the south in September to November 2019,” Dr. Dupree wrote in an email.

From New York Times

Haswell hypothesized that the resulting trail of gas from the planet absorbed the same wavelengths of light that the star's chromosphere emits, making it appear dark.

From Scientific American

Mariona Badenas, 25, of Spain, walked past, heading for the observatory, where a special telescope allows her to look at the sun’s chromosphere, or second layer of atmosphere.

From Los Angeles Times