The troposphere begins at the earth's surface and extends to about nine miles (15 kilometers) high. Because this layer holds most of the earth's water vapor, it is where nearly all of the weather events occur. The troposphere is an unstable layer where the air is in constant motion. Because the troposphere is mostly heated by transfer of energy from the earth's surface, it is warmest near the earth and gets cooler as height increases.
According to NASA, as you climb higher in this layer, the temperature cools to some minus 52 degrees Celsius ( minus 62 degrees Fahrenheit.)
The stratosphere begins where the troposphere ends. It extends to a height of 31 miles (51 kilometers). The largest difference between the stratosphere and the troposphere is the absence of water vapor. It is also less dense. This layer is mostly heated by the absorption of ultraviolet radiation from the sun. As such, the temperature of this layer increases gradually to around minus 3 degrees Celsius (27 degrees Fahrenheit.) The stratosphere also is notable in that it contains the ozone layer, which absorbs and scatters ultraviolet radiation that would otherwise be harmful to life on Earth.
The mesosphere begins some 31 miles high. It ends about 53 miles high. It is in this level of the atmosphere that most meteors or rock fragments burn up. Temperatures begin to fall again as altitude continues to increase. The mesosphere can get as cold as minus 93 degrees Celsius (minus 135 degrees Fahrenheit.) Because it is so cold, any water vapor here forms into ice clouds.
The thermosphere is not as cold as the mesosphere due to the sun's energy. In fact, auroras occur in the thermosphere. Auroras are natural light displays in the sky that are caused when charged particles from the sun hit the Earth's magnetic field.
Temperatures can reach 1,727 degrees Celsius (3,140 degrees Fahrenheit.) In the thermosphere, chemical reactions occur faster than they do at the surface of the Earth. This layer is where space shuttles orbit. The thermosphere ends around 372 miles above the Earth's surface. Beyond the thermosphere lies what is called the ionosphere. It has no clear endpoint, eventually merging with space.