An atmosphere (from Greek ἀτμός (atmos), meaning "vapour", and σφαῖρα (sphaira), meaning "sphere") is a layer of gases surrounding a planet or other material body of sufficient mass that is held in place by the gravity of the body. An atmosphere is more likely to be retained if the gravity is high and the atmosphere's temperature is low.
The atmosphere of Earth is mostly composed of nitrogen. It also contains oxygen used by most organisms for respiration and carbon dioxide used by plants, algae and cyanobacteria for photosynthesis. The atmosphere helps protect living organisms from genetic damage by solar ultraviolet radiation, solar wind and cosmic rays. Its current composition is the product of billions of years of biochemical modification of the paleoatmosphere by living organisms.
The term stellar atmosphere describes the outer region of a star, and typically includes the portion starting from the opaque photosphere outwards. Stars with sufficiently low temperatures may form compound molecules in their outer atmosphere.
The standard atmosphere (symbol: atm) is a unit of pressure defined as 101325 Pa (1.01325 bar). It is sometimes used as a reference or standard pressure.
In 1954 the 10th Conférence Générale des Poids et Mesures (CGPM) adopted standard atmosphere for general use and affirmed its definition of being precisely equal to 1,013,250 dynes per square centimetre (101325 Pa). This value was intended to represent the mean atmospheric pressure at mean sea level at the latitude of Paris, France, and does reflect the mean sea level pressure for many industrialized nations that are at broadly similar latitudes.
In chemistry and in various industries, the reference pressure referred to in “Standard Temperature and Pressure” (STP) was commonly 1 atm (101.325 kPa) but standards have since diverged; in 1982, the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) recommended that for the purposes of specifying the physical properties of substances, “standard pressure” should be precisely 100 kPa (1 bar).
"Atmosphere" is a song by English post-punk band Joy Division. It was originally released in March 1980 by record label Sordide Sentimental as "Licht und Blindheit", a France-only limited edition single featuring the track "Dead Souls" as the B-side. Following Ian Curtis's death two months later, it was re-released as a 12" single by record label Factory with "She's Lost Control" as the B-side.
The single was re-released in 1988 to coincide with the release of the compilation album Substance, and a music video was produced for the song.
The song was originally released on 18 March 1980 by record label Sordide Sentimental as a France-only single under the title "Licht und Blindheit" (German for "Light and Blindness"). It was limited to 1578 copies and featured the track "Dead Souls" as the B-side.
Following the death of lead singer Ian Curtis in May 1980, "Atmosphere" was released as a single with "She's Lost Control". "Atmosphere" was the A-side for the UK release but the B-side for the USA release. "She's Lost Control" is an alternative version of the one that appears on the band's début album Unknown Pleasures. The single peaked at number 1 in New Zealand in August 1981, and it would later re-chart there in July 1984 (number 17) and when it was reissued in August 1988 (number 5). "Atmosphere" also hit number 34 in the UK Singles Chart during June 1988.
[chorus:]
Round and round upside down
Livin my life underneath the ground (x 4)
I never had the skills that it took to sell weed
I was too generous too understanding to your needs
As far as school I lacked the motivation for the occupation preparation
Guess I'll never catch that bacon
I need to find a duty doin sales or some shit
'cause I was always good at talking people into dumb shit
Fuck it. Just program some drums
I'll be honest to myself and take the wealth if it comes
Run baby run baby run
Because this metro is destined for ruin
Let go of that echo baby what are you pursuing
Priorities are twisted head's not on straight
I think I'm gonna pop a bottle stop and take a long break
And find time to reflect
I need to take a second quit breakin my neck
Tryin to get this fat pay check
Because money is the root of all evil
Ay yo most people are evil so I'm on the roof shootin at bald eagles
Adrenaline, mescaline, ephedrine and apple sauce
Aint nowhere to hang a platinum record on these padded walls
Every man's a faggot and all women are sluts
So Immuh ho out my love for all of ya'll to shake your butts and
[chorus]
somewhat exotic how a lot of these cats went about it
and when they got crowded let the boundaries clouded
I doubted if they only knew how I was comin through
Probably be the oasis they was runnin to
Fashion the lifestyle around the bashings and lifestyles
of entities you don't know much less trust
Judgment judgmental the soldier with the common pencil
So say wussup when you see me on the bus man
Ay yo the worst is yet to come
In fact its on its way you better go and get you some
Before there aint no more today and hey
I'll be just fine tryin to bust rhymes
Got my eye on my son and my hand on my
Nine O'clock. The clock stops
For everybody that you know that got shot
And eight o'clock the seconds get hesitant
For every cat that went in an accident
And seven o'clock time stands still
For every man killed by the planet's build
Consumed by the elements: water, earth, wind, fire
when I die I wanna go like that
Fuck the devil's developments
[chorus]
run away, come away from the land of Sodom and Gomorra
run away, come away from the land of the sinking sands
(x 4)
[chorus]