Which layer is the coldest and where meteors burn up?

Which layer is the coldest and where meteors burn up?

• A. Troposphere
• B. Stratosphere
• C. Mesosphere
• D. Thermosphere

Answer: (C)

The layer that stays the coldest is the mesosphere. In this region, the temperature drops with altitude, reaching around minus 90°C, which makes it the coldest part of the atmosphere. Meteors burn up there because, as they streak in from space at very high speed, they collide with gas molecules in the mesosphere. This friction causes rapid heating and ablation, so the meteor vaporizes and much of its visible glow comes from this layer. The thermosphere can be very hot in energy terms, but it feels cool because it’s so thin, so meteors don’t burn up there but much higher or lower, depending on size and speed.

The layer that stays the coldest is the mesosphere. In this region, the temperature drops with altitude, reaching around minus 90°C, which makes it the coldest part of the atmosphere. Meteors burn up there because, as they streak in from space at very high speed, they collide with gas molecules in the mesosphere. This friction causes rapid heating and ablation, so the meteor vaporizes and much of its visible glow comes from this layer. The thermosphere can be very hot in energy terms, but it feels cool because it’s so thin, so meteors don’t burn up there but much higher or lower, depending on size and speed.