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As the blog grows, I want it to stay easy to navigate. To help with that, I’ve put together a simple guide that explains how everything is arranged and how to find things quickly:
- Want to Find Something Quickly on My Blog? https://undersouthwestskies.blogspot.com/2025/12/want-to-find-something-quickly-on-my.html
You’ll also see labels, categories, and series developing over time so you can follow particular themes - whether that’s equipment, observing sessions, learning logs, or location-based posts. Anyway, welcome and enjoy. I hope ytou find something useful. Steve
The Cosmic dust in the City Project University of Plymouth - Citizen science in action
Prof. Stephen Grimes and Research Assistant Jenny Wiggins
I have signed up to participating in a citizen science project - searching for Micro-meterorites.
And I think it is quite exciting.
I first heard about the project when Stephen did a presentation to the Plymouth Astronomicial Society recently. It was fascinating.
You can read all about the project here: https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/research/public-engagement-at-plymouth/cosmic-dust-in-the-city
What are Micro-meteorites I hear you all ask?
Goiod question - short answer - tiny extraterrestial particles that pass through the Earth's atmosphere and settle on the planet surface. They orginate from asteroids and comets and around 20,000 to 40,000 tonnes of this comsic dust arrives annually; around 5,200 tonnes reaching the surface - 80% of it from comets and 20% from asteroids.
A micro meteroite has an average diameter of 0.25mm. Tiny! Really tiny!
Chemically and texturally, they can tell us much about the formation and evolution of the early Solar System, the history of the Earth's atmosphere, comet and asteroid composition and finally, long-term climate processes including atmospheric CO2 levels.
More about the project
It aims to engage schools, families, amateur scientists and community groups in and around Plymouth - with hands on planetary science activities and training of citizen scientists to collect and identify urban micrometeriorites using simple equipment. A regional and national archive of Micrometeorites will be developed as well.
So what will I be doing?
I will be gently sweeping out my roof gutters to collect the dust and dirt in them. When it has dried out, I will use a strong magnet to lift out any micrometeorites which I will then send off to the university for examination. If there are any - I will be able to go up to the University lab and see my micrometeorites under a microscope at some point.
This is so exciting and cool! I am awaiting my citizen science kit and can't wait to get started.
Find out more about the project using the link above. I will keep you updated with my progress.
Thank you Stephen and Jenny for such an exciting citizen science project!
