Those little dust grains that fall to Earth during meteor showers or end up as part of larger meteorites found on Earth may hold surprising clues to the formation of the Sun. That's because they record the state of the magnetic field in the protostellar nebula from which Earth (and ultimately the planets) formed.
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have discovered that dust grains found in meteorites contain magnetic records that can offer insights into the formation of the Sun. These grains, known as rich inclusions...