magnetosphere

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/mæɡˈni.təˌsfɪr/

noun

The comet-shaped region around Earth or another planet in which charged particles are trapped or deflected. Shaped by the solar wind and the planet's magnetic field.

UncommonScrabble 21

Meanings

nounmagnetosphere (plural magnetospheres)

plural magnetospheres

  1. natural sciencesThe comet-shaped region around Earth or another planet in which charged particles are trapped or deflected. Shaped by the solar wind and the planet's magnetic field.

    We derive rotation periods, photometric activity indices, flaring energies, mass loss rates, gyrochronological ages, X-ray luminosities and consider implications for the planetary magnetospheres and habitability.

    2015, D. J. Armstrong, C. E. Pugh, A.-M. Broomhall, D. J. A. Brown, M. N. Lund, H. P. Osborn, D. L. Pollacco, “The Host Stars of Keplers Habitable Exoplanets: Superflares, Rotation and Activity”, in arXiv, archived from the original on 06 Dec 2022
    2 more examples

    One of the earliest (and biggest) space weather events on record occurred in September 1859, when a massive solar eruption crashed into the Earth's magnetosphere, triggering a geomagnetic storm that lasted for days.

    2023 November 15, Prof. Jim Wild, “This train was delayed because of bad weather in space”, in RAIL, number 996, page 30

    Earth is surrounded by a magnetosphere — an invisible bubble of magnetism generated by the powerful churning of molten metals at Earth’s core. It prevents our atmosphere from being stripped away by solar winds blasting it from the sun. While the magnetosphere has been a constant presence for billions of years, its strength waxes and wanes over time.

    2023 December 27, Mindy Weisberger, “Ancient bricks baked when Nebuchadnezzar II was king absorbed a power surge in Earth’s magnetic field”, in CNN, archived from the original on 20 Jan 2024

Origin

  1. Ancient GreekΜάγνης (Mágnēs)
  2. Ancient Greekμᾰ́γνης (mắgnēs)
  3. Old Frenchmagnete
  4. Ancient Greekμᾰ́γνης (mắgnēs)
  5. Latinmagnēs
  6. Middle Englishmagnete
  7. Englishmagnet
  8. Englishmagnet-
  9. Englishmagneto-
  10. Ancient Greekσφαῖρᾰ (sphaîră)
  11. Latinsphaera
  12. Late Latinsphēra
  13. Old Frenchsphere
  14. Middle Englishspere
  15. Englishsphere
  16. Englishmagnetosphere

From magneto- + -sphere.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque magnetosfera
  • magnetosferaregion around a planet
Catalan magnetosfera
  • magnetosferaregion around a planet
Chinese Mandarin 磁氣圈 /磁气圈, 磁層 /磁层
  • 磁氣圈 /磁气圈 (cíqìquān)region around a planet
  • 磁層 /磁层 (cícéng)region around a planet
Czech magnetosféra
  • magnetosféraregion around a planet
Finnish magnetosfääri
  • magnetosfääriregion around a planet
French magnétosphère
  • magnétosphèreregion around a planet
German Magnetosphäre
  • Magnetosphäreregion around a planet
Greek μαγνητόσφαιρα
  • μαγνητόσφαιρα (magnitósfaira)region around a planet
Italian magnetosfera
  • magnetosferaregion around a planet
Japanese 磁気圏
  • 磁気圏 (jikiken)region around a planet
Korean 자기권
  • 자기권 (jagigwon)region around a planet
Polish magnetosfera
  • magnetosferaregion around a planet
Portuguese magnetosfera
  • magnetosferaregion around a planet
Russian магнитосфе́ра
  • магнитосфе́ра (magnitosféra)region around a planet
Spanish magnetosfera
  • magnetosferaregion around a planet
Tagalog balnibulog
  • balnibulogregion around a planet
Turkish magnetosfer
  • magnetosferregion around a planet
Ukrainian магнітосфе́ра
  • магнітосфе́ра (mahnitosféra)region around a planet
Vietnamese từ quyển
  • từ quyểnregion around a planet
Cite this entry
APA

magnetosphere. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/magnetosphere

MLA

“magnetosphere.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/magnetosphere. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “magnetosphere,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/magnetosphere.

Source: magnetosphere on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.