— magnetospheric /mag nee'teuh sfer"ik/ , adj.
/mag nee"teuh sfear'/ , n. Astron.
1. the outer region of the earth's ionosphere, where the earth's magnetic field controls the motion of charged particles, as in the Van Allen belts. Cf. magnetopause .
2. such a region of another planet: Jupiter's magnetosphere.
[ 1955-60; MAGNETO- + -SPHERE ]