chromosphere

noun

chro·​mo·​sphere ˈkrō-mə-ˌsfir 

: the region of the atmosphere of a star (such as the sun) between the star's photosphere and its corona

chromospheric

ˌkrō-mə-ˈsfir-ik  -ˈsfer- 

adjective

Examples of chromosphere in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Eclipses are said to begin when the moon crosses the sun’s disk, its photosphere, but through an H-alpha telescope, the observer sees the chromosphere, so the eclipse always starts slightly earlier. —Jamie Carter, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024

The image showcases the sun’s corona, its pink chromosphere and Baily’s beads, which are narrow openings of sunlight that shine through due to the moon’s rugged landscape. —Samuel Sanders, Smithsonian Magazine, 5 July 2024

The chromosphere and the transition region are separate layers. —Aaron Shattuck, Scientific American, 25 June 2024

The outermost layers are the photosphere (the bright surface), the chromosphere, the transition region and the corona. —Rebecca Boyle, Scientific American, 1 Mar. 2024

Word History

Etymology

chromo- + sphere entry 1

Note: Term introduced by the English astronomer J. Norman Lockyer (1836-1920) in "Spectroscopic Observations of the Sun. No. II…Read November 19 and 26, 1868," Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, vol. 159 for the year 1869, p. 430.

First Known Use

1868, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

chromosphere

noun

chro·​mo·​sphere ˈkrō-mə-ˌsfi(ə)r 

: the part of the atmosphere of the sun or a star between the photosphere and corona