Chromosphere

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A distinct layer within a star's atmosphere, primarily seen in the sun, positioned above the photosphere and beneath the corona, known for its ionized gases and various solar activities
2. The atmospheric section of a star, notably the sun, that lies between the photosphere and corona, where gas temperatures can rise dramatically and solar phenomena like flares occur
3. A layer found in the atmosphere of a star, specifically located above the photosphere and below the corona, characterized by its high-temperature gases and active solar emissions

Etymology: The Sun's visible surface is not its outermost layer, and the layer just above it was named for its colour. "Chromosphere" combines the Greek "khrômă", meaning colour, with "sphaîră", meaning ball or sphere. The name points to the reddish glow that observers see at the edge of the Sun during a total solar eclipse, when the bright photosphere is hidden and this thin layer flashes into view. The word is a modern scientific coinage built from classical parts rather than a term the ancient Greeks used. Its base "sphere" passed into English through Latin "sphaera", Late Latin "sphēra", and Old French "sphere", reaching Middle English as "spere". The prefix "chromo-" is the same Greek element found in words like "chromatic", and the suffix "-sphere" was used in English to name layers and regions of the sky and atmosphere.