OtterKnow Kids EncyclopediaEarth’s atmosphere is a big blanket of air wrapped all around our planet! It gives us the air we breathe and protects us from the Sun’s harmful rays. Without the atmosphere, nothing could live on Earth.
The atmosphere is made of many layers of air stacked on top of each other. The layer closest to the ground is where we live, where clouds form, and where weather happens. Higher up, there are layers that block dangerous rays from the Sun and protect us from space rocks that burn up before reaching the ground.
- The atmosphere is about 300 miles thick, but most of the air is in the first 10 miles.
- Earth’s atmosphere is mostly made of a gas called nitrogen and also has oxygen, which is what we breathe.
- From space, the atmosphere looks like a thin blue glow around our planet!
