Troposphere

Interesting Exosphere Facts: Although the exosphere is the most distance layer of earth’s atmosphere it is the layer that is the planet’s first line of defense against the sun’s rays. It is also the first layer to come into contact and protect the earth from meteors, asteroids, and cosmic rays.

The thermosphere is the layer in the Earth’s atmosphere directly above the mesosphere and below the exosphere. Within this layer of the atmosphere, ultraviolet radiation causes photoionization/photodissociation of molecules, creating ions; the thermosphere thus constitutes the larger part of the ionosphere.

The exosphere is the outermost layer of our atmosphere. The exosphere has gases like hydrogen and helium, but they are very spread out. There is a lot of empty space in between. There is no air to breathe, and it’s very cold.

Most gas particles in the exosphere zoom along curved paths without ever hitting another atom or molecule, eventually arcing back down into the lower atmosphere due to the pull of gravity. However, some of the faster-moving particles don’t return to Earth – they fly off into space instead!

Mercury, the Moon and three Galilean satellites of Jupiter have surface boundary exospheres, which are exospheres without a denser atmosphere underneath.

The air in the exosphere is so thin that collisions of molecules and atoms of atmospheric gases are rare. Most particles in this layer fly along curved paths without ever hitting another particle. But because they are moving quickly, the temperature in the exosphere can reach up to 3,092 degrees Fahrenheit.

2,700 degrees Fahrenheit

The bottom line: the temperature outer space is brutally cold. The gas particles may be moving really fast, having been energized by the sun, but the outer space is huge and gas particles and stars are lightyears away from one another. There will be no knocking into each other. There is simply too much space.

Flying through outer space has dramatic effects on the body, and people in space experience aging at a faster rate than people on Earth. These studies showed that space alters gene function, function of the cell’s powerhouse (mitochondria), and the chemical balance in cells.

Astronauts need space suits to stay alive. You could only last 15 seconds without a spacesuit — you’d die of asphyxiation or you’ll freeze. If there’s any air left in your lungs, they will rupture. See more stories on Insider’s business page.