Atmospheric window

An atmospheric window is a <a href="/facts/Spectral_band/hw6CxHIS">region</a> of the <a href="/facts/Electromagnetic_spectrum/24LARvFY">electromagnetic spectrum</a> that can pass through the <a href="/facts/Atmosphere_of_Earth/FV97Am25">atmosphere of Earth</a>. The <a href="/facts/Optical_window/ur52Kl8b">optical</a>, <a href="/facts/Infrared_window/xKeM4VfJ">infrared</a> and <a href="/facts/Radio_window/rdgooP8G">radio</a> windows comprise the three main atmospheric windows. The windows provide direct channels for Earth's surface to receive electromagnetic energy from the Sun, and for <a href="/facts/Thermal_radiation/1PD9jtCv">thermal radiation</a> from the surface to leave to space. Atmospheric windows are useful for <a href="/facts/Observational_astronomy/PKgYt9PX">astronomy</a>, <a href="/facts/Remote_sensing/pj2crmGs">remote sensing</a>, <a href="/facts/Telecommunications/vxoj1cxR">telecommunications</a> and other science and technology applications.
In the study of the <a href="/facts/Greenhouse_effect/LGdNYYj3">greenhouse effect</a>, the term atmospheric window may be limited to mean the <a href="/facts/Infrared_window/xKeM4VfJ">infrared window</a>, which is the primary escape route for a fraction of the thermal radiation emitted near the surface. In other fields of science and technology, such as <a href="/facts/Radio_astronomy/TdjF4LgL">radio astronomy</a> and <a href="/facts/Remote_sensing/pj2crmGs">remote sensing</a>, the term is used as a <a href="/facts/Hyponymy_and_hypernymy/bjxUuoRb">hypernym</a>, covering the whole electromagnetic spectrum as in the present article.

Atmospheric window open-in-new

Atmospheric window