magnetosphere

[mag-nee-tuh-sfeer]

noun

Astronomy.

1. the outer region of the earth's ionosphere, where the earth's magnetic field controls the motion of charged particles, as in the Van Allen belts.

2. such a region of another planet.

   Jupiter's magnetosphere.

magnetosphere

/ mæɡˌniːtəʊˈsfɛrɪk, mæɡˈniːtəʊˌsfɪə /

noun

1. the region surrounding a planet, such as the earth, in which the behaviour of charged particles is controlled by the planet's magnetic field

magnetosphere

1. A highly asymmetrical region surrounding the Earth, beginning about 100 km (62 mi) above the surface on the side of the Earth facing the Sun and extending hundreds of thousands of kilometers into space on the opposite side. In this region the Earth's magnetic field exerts a significant influence on any charged particles that encounter it. The magnetosphere deflects most of the charged particles in the solar wind, but also traps and deflects some of these particles toward the Earth's magnetic poles, causing magnetic storms and auroras.

Other Word Forms

• magnetospheric adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of magnetosphere¹

First recorded in 1955–60; magneto- + -sphere

Example Sentences

The area of space controlled by Earth's magnetic field is called the magnetosphere.

Read more on Science Daily

The two satellites will study Earth’s magnetosphere by determining how magnetic explosions send solar wind particles into Earth’s atmosphere, and how those particles affect space technology and astronauts .

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Electrically charged particles fly from our neighborhood star into Earth's magnetosphere, where a powerful magnetic field surrounds our planet.

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The researchers propose a different explanation for the current theory, suggesting that nitrogen molecular ions might be accelerated into the magnetosphere through an unknown process.

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The Voyager 2 probe was also used by a recent study from the journal Nature Astronomy which used those images to learn about the magnetosphere of Uranus.

Read more on Salon