photosphere
noun
pho·to·sphere
ˈfō-tə-ˌsfir 
1
: a sphere of light or radiance
2
: the luminous surface layer of the sun or a star
Examples of photosphere in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Solar prominences, explains NASA, are large, bright loops of plasma anchored to the Sun's surface in the photosphere — the visible surface of the Sun — that extend into the Sun's outer atmosphere.
—
John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Apr. 2024
Heed these wise words from NASA: Even when 99% of the Sun’s surface (the photosphere) is obscured during the partial phases of a solar eclipse, the remaining crescent Sun is still intense enough to cause a retinal burn.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 8 Apr. 2024
The Parker probe saw the entire thing—from the CME's generation, to its emission from the sun's surface (or photosphere), to its propagation in the space between our star and our planet.
—Rebecca Boyle, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024
The outermost layers are the photosphere (the bright surface), the chromosphere (the transition region) and the corona.
—Rebecca Boyle, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024
Confusingly, the corona can reach temperatures of millions of degrees, compared with a temperature of just 5,500 degrees C (10,000 degrees F) on the sun’s surface, or photosphere.
—Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 3 Jan. 2024
Four payloads for studying the sun will gaze at the star’s photosphere, its layer visible to us; the chromosphere, a thin layer of plasma on top of the photosphere; and the corona, the outermost layer of the sun that starts about 1,300 miles above the photosphere.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Sep. 2023
Despite their great temperatures, dwarf stars can and do harbor water molecules in their own atmospheres – their photospheres.
—Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 15 June 2023
The photosphere appears black at these wavelengths, because that region is not nearly hot enough to shine brightly in extreme ultraviolet.
—Corey S Powell, Discover Magazine, 11 Aug. 2013
John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Apr. 2024
Heed these wise words from NASA: Even when 99% of the Sun’s surface (the photosphere) is obscured during the partial phases of a solar eclipse, the remaining crescent Sun is still intense enough to cause a retinal burn.
—Justine Calma, The Verge, 8 Apr. 2024
The Parker probe saw the entire thing—from the CME's generation, to its emission from the sun's surface (or photosphere), to its propagation in the space between our star and our planet.
—Rebecca Boyle, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024
The outermost layers are the photosphere (the bright surface), the chromosphere (the transition region) and the corona.
—Rebecca Boyle, Scientific American, 20 Feb. 2024
Confusingly, the corona can reach temperatures of millions of degrees, compared with a temperature of just 5,500 degrees C (10,000 degrees F) on the sun’s surface, or photosphere.
—Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 3 Jan. 2024
Four payloads for studying the sun will gaze at the star’s photosphere, its layer visible to us; the chromosphere, a thin layer of plasma on top of the photosphere; and the corona, the outermost layer of the sun that starts about 1,300 miles above the photosphere.
—Will Sullivan, Smithsonian Magazine, 6 Sep. 2023
Despite their great temperatures, dwarf stars can and do harbor water molecules in their own atmospheres – their photospheres.
—Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 15 June 2023
The photosphere appears black at these wavelengths, because that region is not nearly hot enough to shine brightly in extreme ultraviolet.
—Corey S Powell, Discover Magazine, 11 Aug. 2013
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'photosphere.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near photosphere
Cite this Entry
“Photosphere.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/photosphere. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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