1660s, "orb of light, envelop of light," from photo- "light" + sphere. Astronomical sense "luminous envelop around the sun (or another star)" is from 1848. Related: Photospheric.
photomontage
photon
photoperiodism
photophobia
photoshop
photosphere
photostat
photosynthesis
photosynthesize
phototropism
photovoltaic
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