CATCH A SHOOTING STAR by Ted Kinsman
14 FEBRUARY 2020 • SKY & TELESCOPE
One man’s search for the tiny cosmic visitors that are just underfoot
Micrometeorite
BLUE MARBLEThe micrometeorite shown in this scanning
electron microscope image is 300 microns across, about
twice the width of a thick human hair. As the fragment
entered Earth’s atmosphere, it melted from the heat, and
the surface tension of the molten metals brought it into a
spherical shape. The author found this sample on the roof
of his house, and he considers it to be the most beautiful
micrometeorite he has ever found.