Using densities measured by accelerometers on the CHAMP and GRACE satellites, and taking advantage of the local time precession characteristics of these near-polar orbiting satellites, exosphere temperatures are derived as a function of local time, longitude and latitude. Significant longitude variability (e.g., ±25K maximum to minimum over the equator) in geomagnetically-quiet exosphere temperatures is shown to exist, and is attributed to a spectrum of diurnal and semidiurnal thermal tides that are excited in the troposphere and strongly influenced by the global land-sea distribution. Since exosphere temperatures are independent of height, this discovery constitutes evidence that exosphere variability is linked to surface variability. Recent evidence suggests that analogous effects exist at Mars.