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 /

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

What we now call the "chromosphere" is an envelope of glowing gases, by which the sun is completely covered, and from which the "prominences" are emanations, eruptive or flame-like.

From A Popular History of Astronomy During the Nineteenth Century Fourth Edition by Agnes M. (Agnes Mary) Clerke