atmospheric window

American

noun

Astronomy.

any of the wavelengths at which electromagnetic radiation from space can penetrate the earth's atmosphere.

atmospheric window British

noun

wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be transmitted through the earth's atmosphere. Atmospheric windows occur in the visible, infrared, and radio regions of the spectrum

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of atmospheric window

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A micrometer-thick silicon polymer was added to enhance the structure's cooling power by reflecting thermal radiation through the atmospheric window and into outer space.

From Science Daily

The idea is to test the effects on the atmospheric window of various pollutants, and also of water vapour, by releasing them into the building.

From Economist

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023