Myth vs Reality: Composition of Earth's Atmosphere
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This short segment addresses the misconception that Earth's atmosphere is mostly oxygen.
Produced by the Space Telescope Science Institute’s Office of Public Outreach in collaboration with the NASA Earth Observatory (https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/).
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Text, Myth vs. Reality
Myth. Earth's atmosphere is mostly oxygen.
Reality. Oxygen gas makes up less than 21% of the volume of Earth's atmosphere. The most abundant gas is nitrogen, which makes up more than 78%. Most of the remaining 1% is argon, with small quantities of carbon dioxide and other gases.