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How does an atmosphere change the temperature of a planet?

User Facetoe
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2 Answers

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Answer:

The atmosphere changes the temperature of the planet because of its transparency.

On Earth, sunlight reaches the Earth, which warms it. On a planet such as Jupiter, the planet is entirely surrounded in a thick and toxic gas. This limits the amount of sunlight that can reach the surface, which also decreases the temperature.

User Charles Duffy
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The existence of atmosphere increases the average planetary temperature by more than 15°C, due to the greenhouse effect of some atmospheric compounds. The most important of them are water vapour (H2O), ozone (O3), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4).
User Carli Beeli
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