latest science news

Space dust

New research reveals the origins of cosmic dust.

The source of cosmic dust – which is microscopic meteorites - has been made known for the first time. Published in the journal Geology, the research reveals that some of the dust falling to Earth emanated from an ancient asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars.
 
The individual pieces of rock, which measure up to a tenth of a millimetre in size, gather to form a cloud and shroud the solar system.
 
Author of the study, Imperial College’s Dr Mathew Genge, reached his conclusions following years of collection samples across the globe.
 
“There are hundreds of billions of extraterrestrial dust particles falling though our skies. This abundant resource is important since these tiny pieces of rock allow us to study distant objects in our solar system without the multi-billion dollar price tag of expensive missions,” he commented.
 
To reach his conclusion, Dr Genge analysed over 600 particles, measuring their chemical and mineral content.
 
“This research is the first time we have successfully demonstrated a way to locate the home of these important little particles. The answer to so many important questions, such as why we are here and are we alone in the universe, may well lie inside a cosmic dust particle. Since they are everywhere, even inside our homes, we don’t necessarily have to blast off the Earth to find those answers. Perhaps they are already next to you, right here and right now,” he concluded. 

Space dust

Meet our Role Model who took part in discovering dust echoes in space.