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62 DISCOVERMAGAZINE.COM

JAN BRALY KIHLE AND JON LARSEN

The Pitter-Patter

of Cosmic Dust

❯

THOUSANDS OF POUNDS

OF COSMIC DUST — known

as micrometeorites —

arrive on Earth daily. Scientists

have long ignored the common

space stuff that surrounds us,

however, since cities abound with

similar-looking particles. Instead,

researchers seek micrometeorites

in remote places like Antarctica.

But Jon Larsen, a Norwegian jazz

musician turned micrometeorite

photographer, managed to strike

space dirt among the diaspora of

human-made dust. After years

of sending photos of urban dust,

often collected from rooftops,

to Imperial College London’s

Matthew Genge, Larsen found his

first micrometeorite. The pair has

since identified hundreds more.

Research based on their catalog

appeared in Geology in February.

— SYLVIA MORROW