Description: Atmospheric extinction is the scattering or absorption of the light from celestial objects passing through the Earth's atmosphere. Atmospheric gases allow the entry of visible light and are transparent to radio and some infrared light, so these types of ground-based telescopes are widely used. To avoid this phenomenon and to observe light of other wavelengths, some telescopes are located beyond the atmosphere.

Related Terms:

• Atmosphere
• Extinction
• Infrared Astronomy
• Optical Astronomy
• Radio Astronomy
• Interstellar Extinction

Term and definition status: This term and its definition have been approved by a research astronomer and a teacher

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