Editing Atmospheric science (section)

== Atmospheres on other celestial bodies ==

[[File:Venus - October 29 2021 - Flickr - Kevin M. Gill.png|thumb|right|False-color image of the [[atmosphere of Venus]] in [[ultraviolet]] light, taken by the ''[[Akatsuki (spacecraft)|Akatsuki]]'' orbiter in October 2021]]
All of the Solar System's planets have atmospheres.  This is because their gravity is strong enough to keep gaseous particles close to the surface.  Larger gas giants are massive enough to keep large amounts of the light gases [[hydrogen]] and [[helium]] close by, while the smaller planets lose these gases into [[space]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Sheppard |first1=S. S. |last2=Jewitt |first2=D. |last3=Kleyna |first3=J. |title=An Ultradeep Survey for Irregular Satellites of Uranus: Limits to Completeness |doi=10.1086/426329 |journal=[[The Astronomical Journal]] |volume=129 |issue=1 |pages=518–525 |year=2005 |arxiv=astro-ph/0410059 |bibcode=2005AJ....129..518S|s2cid=18688556 }}</ref> The composition of the Earth's atmosphere is different from the other planets because the various life processes that have transpired on the planet have introduced free molecular [[oxygen]].<ref name=zeilik>{{cite book |last=Zeilik |first=Michael A. |author2=Gregory, Stephan A. |title=Introductory Astronomy & Astrophysics |edition=4th |year=1998 |publisher=Saunders College Publishing |isbn=0-03-006228-4 |pages=67}}</ref> Much of Mercury's atmosphere has been blasted away by the [[solar wind]].<ref>Hunten D. M., Shemansky D. E., Morgan T. H. (1988), ''The Mercury atmosphere'', In: Mercury (A89-43751 19–91). University of Arizona Press, pp. 562–612</ref> The only moon that has retained a dense atmosphere is [[Atmospheric evolution of Titan|Titan]]. There is a thin atmosphere on [[Atmosphere of Triton|Triton]], and a trace of an atmosphere on the [[Atmosphere of the Moon|Moon]].

Planetary atmospheres are affected by the varying degrees of energy received from either the Sun or their interiors, leading to the formation of dynamic [[weather system]]s such as [[hurricane]]s (on Earth), planet-wide [[dust storm]]s ([[Climate of Mars|on Mars]]), an Earth-sized [[Anticyclonic storm|anticyclone]] on Jupiter (called the [[Great Red Spot]]), and [[Great Dark Spot|holes in the atmosphere]] (on Neptune).<ref name=Weather>{{cite web |last=Harvey |first=Samantha |date=1 May 2006 |url=http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/scitech/display.cfm?ST_ID=725 |title=Weather, Weather, Everywhere? |publisher=NASA |access-date=9 September 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808201459/http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/scitech/display.cfm?ST_ID=725 |archive-date=8 August 2007  |url-status=dead}}</ref> At least one extrasolar planet, [[HD 189733 b]], has been claimed to possess such a weather system, similar to the Great Red Spot but twice as large.<ref name="knutson">{{cite journal |last=Knutson |first=Heather A. |author2=Charbonneau, David |author3=Allen, Lori E.|author3-link=Lori Allen (astronomer) |author4=Fortney, Jonathan J. |title=A map of the day-night contrast of the extrasolar planet HD 189733b |journal=Nature |year=2007 |volume=447 |pages=183–6 |doi=10.1038/nature05782 |pmid=17495920 |issue=7141 |bibcode=2007Natur.447..183K |arxiv=0705.0993|s2cid=4402268 }} (Related [http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/press/2007/pr200713.html press release])</ref>

Hot Jupiters have been shown to be losing their atmospheres into space due to stellar radiation, much like the tails of comets.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Weaver, D. |author2=Villard, R. |url=http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2007/07/full/ |title=Hubble Probes Layer-cake Structure of Alien World's Atmosphere |work=University of Arizona, Lunar and Planetary Laboratory (Press Release) |date=31 January 2007 |access-date=15 August 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070808225656/http://hubblesite.org/newscenter/archive/releases/2007/07/full/ |archive-date=8 August 2007  |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |journal=Nature |last=Ballester |first=Gilda E. |author2=Sing, David K. |author3=Herbert, Floyd |title=The signature of hot hydrogen in the atmosphere of the extrasolar planet HD 209458b |volume=445 |pages=511–4 |year=2007 |doi=10.1038/nature05525 |pmid=17268463 |issue=7127|bibcode=2007Natur.445..511B|hdl=10871/16060 |s2cid=4391861 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> These planets may have vast differences in temperature between their day and night sides which produce supersonic winds,<ref>{{cite journal |last=Harrington |first=Jason |author2=Hansen, Brad M.|author3=Luszcz, Statia H.|author4=Seager, Sara |title=The phase-dependent infrared brightness of the extrasolar planet Andromeda b |journal=Science |volume=314 |pages=623–6 |year=2006 |doi=10.1126/science.1133904 |pmid=17038587 |issue=5799|arxiv=astro-ph/0610491 |bibcode=2006Sci...314..623H|s2cid=20549014 }} (Related [http://www.nasa.gov/vision/universe/starsgalaxies/spitzer-20061012.html press release])</ref> although the day and night sides of HD 189733b appear to have very similar temperatures, indicating that planet's atmosphere effectively redistributes the star's energy around the planet.<ref name="knutson" />