Illustration of Earth's atmosphere layers.

- The image displays the layers of Earth's atmosphere in order from lowest to highest altitude.
- The troposphere is the lowest layer, where weather occurs and where we live.
- Above the troposphere is the stratosphere, which contains the ozone layer that absorbs harmful UV radiation.
- The mesosphere is next, where meteors burn up upon entering the atmosphere.
- The thermosphere follows, characterized by very high temperatures due to absorption of solar radiation; it is where auroras occur and the International Space Station orbits.
- The exosphere is the outermost layer, gradually fading into outer space, where atoms and molecules escape Earth’s gravity.