airglow

American  

[air-gloh] / ˈɛərˌgloʊ /

noun

1. a dim light from the upper atmosphere caused by emissions from atoms and molecules ionized by solar radiation: observed at night nightglow, during the day dayglow, and at twilight twilight glow, with each having slightly different characteristics.

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airglow British  

/ ˈɛəˌɡləʊ /

noun

1. the faint light from the upper atmosphere in the night sky, esp in low latitudes

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airglow Scientific  

/ âr′glō′ /

1. A faint photochemical luminescence in the upper atmosphere caused by the collision of x-rays and charged particles from the Sun with atoms and molecules, especially of oxygen, sodium, and the hydroxyl radical (OH). Airglow is strongest over low and middle latitudes.

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Etymology

Origin of airglow

First recorded in 1950–55; air ¹ + glow

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

airglow

That meant some reflected moonlight from clouds in the lower atmosphere was present, but not enough to overwhelm the much fainter airglow signal.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 3, 2026

“There were clouds everywhere. The airglow is emitting upward, and sometimes it makes this really diffuse, widespread veil of light,” Miller explains.

From Scientific American ● Jul. 23, 2022

Editing Editing your astrophotos is important for bringing out the faint details of the night sky, such as airglow.

From The Verge ● Jan. 26, 2022

A variable airglow would be difficult to subtract out.

From Science Magazine ● Mar. 28, 2021

Scientists have been studying this "airglow" layer for more than 40 years, and astronomers were cursing it long before that.

From Time Magazine Archive

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