magnetosphere

noun

mag·​ne·​to·​sphere mag-ˈnē-tə-ˌsfir 

-ˈne-

: a region of space surrounding a celestial object (such as a planet or star) that is dominated by the object's magnetic field so that charged particles are trapped in it

magnetospheric

mag-ˌnē-tə-ˈsfir-ik 

-ˈsfer-

-ˌne-

adjective

Examples of magnetosphere in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The magnetosphere shields us from the Sun’s solar wind and solar storms, acting like a force field to keep living things safe from the energetic particles released by the Sun. —Samuel Badman, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2025

Juno's latest extension broadened its mission from studying Jupiter's interior and magnetosphere to include the planet's rings and observations of its large moons. —Josh Dinner, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2025

Additionally, suspended 30 ft (9 m) is an intricate sculpture of Earth's magnetosphere, composed of 18 metal rings and 1,476 glass spheres. —New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2025

Ejecta from its innermost large, volcano-rich moon, Io, populates this inner magnetosphere with sulfur dioxide gas, where the magnetic field forces this material to co-rotate with Jupiter itself in a torus-like shape. —Ethan Siegel, Big Think, 3 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

magneto- + -sphere

Note: Term introduced by the Austrian-born physicist Thomas Gold (1920-2004) in "Motions in the Magnetosphere of the Earth," Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 64, no. 9 (September, 1959), pp. 1219-24.

First Known Use

1959, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for magnetosphere

• acyclovir
• asthenosphere
• ganciclovir
• atmosphere
• biosphere
• centromere
• chemosphere
• chromosphere
• hemisphere
• hydrosphere
• lithosphere
• mesosphere

Kids Definition

magnetosphere

noun

mag·​ne·​to·​sphere mag-ˈnēt-ə-ˌsfi(ə)r 

-ˈnet-

: a region of space around an object (as a planet or star) that is dominated by the object's magnetic field