Space dust changing weather conditions?
April 5th, 2012 - 7:38 pm ICT by IANSLondon, April 5 (IANS) Cosmic dust that fills space could be playing a part in climate change, scientists say. A study is now trying to ascertain how much of this dust enters the Earth’s atmosphere - in a bid to find out how it might affect our climate.
Far from being empty, space is made up of tonnes of dust caused in part by collisions between asteroids. It is thought that if all the material between the Sun and Jupiter were compressed, it could form a moon stretching 25 km across, Daily Mail reported Thursday.
It is believed that an accurate estimate of dust would also help in understanding how particles are transported through different layers of the Earth’s atmosphere.
An international team led by John Plane of the University of Leeds is conducting the research, the Mail said.
The main sources of dust in the solar system are collisions between asteroids and material evaporating off comets as they approach the Sun. Satellite observations suggest that 100-300 tonnes of cosmic dust enter the atmosphere each day.
- NASA's Swift satellite, Hubble Telescope probe asteroid collision debris - Apr 29, 2011
- First images of aftermath of possible asteroid collision captured - Oct 14, 2010
- NASA craft prepares for Valentine's Day date with comet - Jan 20, 2011
- Asteroids are linked to meteorites striking earth - Sep 18, 2011
- Potato-shaped asteroid could be a stillborn planet - Oct 30, 2011
- What if an asteroid crashes near you? - Nov 07, 2010
- Sugar-grain sized meteorites 'rocked early Earth, Mars' climates' - Apr 02, 2011
- Scientists capture collision of a comet and Sun - May 25, 2010
- Cosmic 'dandruff' could have brought carbon to Earth - May 07, 2010
- 'Asteroid' found 100 years ago could be an extinct comet - Dec 24, 2010
- Reason for zodiac glow in the eastern night sky identified - Apr 16, 2010
- Large mysterious object 'on edge of solar system hurling comets at Earth' - Dec 08, 2010
- Images of comet crashing into sun captured - May 25, 2010
- Amateur astronomers observe asteroids as they impact Jupiter - Sep 10, 2010
- X-shaped debris in space hints at head-on collision between two asteroids - Feb 03, 2010
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