chromosphere

American  

[kroh-muh-sfeer] / ˈkroʊ məˌsfɪər /

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.

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chromosphere British  

/ 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

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chromosphere Scientific  

/ 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.

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Other Word Forms

• chromospheric
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of chromosphere

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

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chromosphere

And just above the visible surface sits a thin, pinkish layer called the chromosphere - only a few thousand kilometres thick.

From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2026

But total eclipses even allow them a rare glimpse of the chromosphere, the layer of atmosphere between the corona and the surface.

From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026

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 ● Jan. 5, 2024

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 ● Sep. 1, 2023

This photograph completely confirms Young’s discovery, and shows the prominent Fraunhofer lines bright, the bright lines of the chromosphere spectrum being especially conspicuous.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 10 "Echinoderma" to "Edward" by Various