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Space Dust Found to Be Porous 'Sponges,' Not Solid Rocks
Scientists found cosmic dust porosity can exceed 99%, affecting light travel and star formation, with findings based on space missions like ESA's Rosetta.
- The Astronomy and Astrophysics Review published on 28/09 that an international group including Professor Martin McCoustra found space dust forming stars and planets is spongier than thought.
- The international group reviewed years of research to answer whether cosmic dust is porous, combining observational data from space missions, laboratory experiments and computational modelling.
- Data from ESA's Rosetta mission show comet 67P contains tiny dust grains described as fluffy, sponge-like structures with porosities exceeding 99%.
- Understanding grain porosity matters for astrochemistry and the building blocks of life, as porous dust affects light propagation and may be destroyed more easily by shocks and radiation in interstellar space.
- The paper calls for further observations, laboratory work and modelling to resolve the debate, noting nearly 100 years ago astronomers doubted molecules could exist in space.
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Space dust which forms planets and stars is spongier than thought - Rother Radio
The “space dust” which helps to form the stars and planets around the cosmos is spongier than previously thought, a group of scientists have found. The international group of astronomers and astrochemists reviewed years’ of research to try and resolve a simple question – is cosmic dust porous? These tiny dust grains are fundamental to astronomy and are found in the star-forming regions of space such as the Pillars of Creation. Professor Martin M…
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Total News Sources8
Leaning Left4Leaning Right0Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution67% Left
Bias Distribution
- 67% of the sources lean Left
67% Left
L 67%
C 33%
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