Micrometeorites - Space dust all around us.
Our planet is bombarded not only by meteorites visible to the naked eye but also by so-called micrometeorites - in other words, space dust. And very often indeed.
According to estimates, around 60 tonnes of these particles hit planet Earth from space every day at a speed of around 8,000 metres per second. Since a micrometeorite is smaller than a grain of sand, imagine how many millions of pieces must hit the Earth every day.
In space, micrometeorites move at speeds of up to 80 kilometres per second and despite their small size they have enormous energy. This makes them a dangerous enemy for space-based equipment. They are protected against such hits, but the recently launched Webb Telescope, for example, has already experienced several. The strongest was in June 2022, when a mirror-like optical element over 6 metres in diameter took a harder-than-expected hit, but fortunately it was not strong enough to damage the telescope in any way.
Micrometeorites are easiest to find using a magnet. That's why metallic micrometeorites are most abundant. But glass ones are no exception, as they heat up to 2000 degrees Celsius as they pass through the atmosphere.
Until recently, micrometeorites were found only in remote areas of Antarctica or in deserts because of the small amount of terrestrial dust. But in 2015, Norwegian meteorite enthusiast and well-known jazz musician Jon Larsen found the first micrometeorite in an urban environment in a gutter for the first time. Since then, he has discovered several hundred of them, showing enthusiasts that anyone can find a unique piece of the universe.
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