With that the amount of alumina released into the mesosphere and upper stratosphere — the otherwise pristine middle layers of the atmosphere — has been skyrocketing. Air pollution in the ...

Operators follow a 25-year rule: at this point, a satellite’s mission is deemed to have ended and it is lowered into the atmosphere where gravity and friction kicks in. While this helps clear space, ...

Keep reading to learn more about Earth's different layers, its atmosphere, and what makes the "blue planet" unique. Earth is made out of different layers, and those layers get hotter and more ...