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breckenridgeback t1_j64l9qz wrote

Reply to comment by Raving_Lunatic69 in ELI5: How do we define the boundary between earth’s atmosphere and space? by crenshawcrane

> Geography would have a very negligible effect at that altitude. It's a fixed altitude above sea level and doesn't fluctuate

But just because it's an arbitrary human definition. There are dynamics in the upper atmosphere that matter for some purposes, but the atmosphere in the sense of "has dynamics that matter sometimes" extends far into what we think of as "space".

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TheJeeronian t1_j64u7yn wrote

This. The least arbitrary boundary would probably be the solar wind bow shock, but even that is fuzzy and certainly not spherical.

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Chromotron t1_j66fxvp wrote

But the bow shock is a result of the magnetic field, not atmospheric density or effects. Ultimately the question is "who cares?"; it doesn't matter at all if one is technically inside the atmosphere or not.

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dontmentiontrousers t1_j68cpvi wrote

I kinda like breathing, so there's that.

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