Micrometerorite collected from the Antarctic snow.
A micrometeorite is a micrometeoroid that has survived entry through the Earth's atmosphere. Usually found on Earth's surface, micrometeorites differ from meteorites in that they are smaller in size, more abundant, and different in composition. The IAU officially defines meteoroids as 30 micrometers to 1 meter; micrometeorites are the small end of the range (~submillimeter).[1] They are a subset of cosmic dust, which also includes the smaller interplanetary dust particles (IDPs).[2]
Micrometeorites enter Earth's atmosphere at high velocities (at least 11 km/s) and undergo heating through atmospheric friction and compression. Micrometeorites individually weigh between 10−9 and 10−4 g and collectively comprise most of the extraterrestrial material that has come to the present-day Earth.[3]
Fred Lawrence Whipple first coined the term "micro-meteorite" to describe dust-sized objects that fall to the Earth.[4] Sometimes meteoroids and micrometeoroids entering the Earth's atmosphere are visible as meteors or "shooting stars", whether or not they reach the ground and survive as meteorites and micrometeorites.
^"Definitions of terms in meteor astronomy" (PDF). Retrieved 25 Jul 2020.
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Brownlee, D. E.; Bates, B.; Schramm, L. (1997), "The elemental composition of stony cosmic spherules", Meteoritics and Planetary Science, 32 (2): 157–175, Bibcode:1997M&PS...32..157B, doi:10.1111/j.1945-5100.1997.tb01257.x
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Love, S. G.; Brownlee, D. E. (1993), "A direct measurement of the terrestrial mass accretion rate of cosmic dust", Science, 262 (5133): 550–553, Bibcode:1993Sci...262..550L, doi:10.1126/science.262.5133.550, PMID 17733236, S2CID 35563939
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Whipple, Fred (1950), "The Theory of Micro-Meteorites", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 36 (12): 687–695, Bibcode:1950PNAS...36..687W, doi:10.1073/pnas.36.12.687, PMC 1063272, PMID 16578350
A micrometeorite is a micrometeoroid that has survived entry through the Earth's atmosphere. Usually found on Earth's surface, micrometeorites differ from...
transducer and solid-state amplifier) to detect micrometeorite (cosmic dust) impacts. It responded to micrometeorite impacts on the spacecraft skin in such a...
and momentum of dust particles in the near-Earth environment. This micrometeorite detector consisted of two cadmium-sulfide cells with a total effective...
temperature, the ion concentration, the ion mass, the micrometeorite distribution, and the micrometeorite mass in the ionosphere at altitudes between 400 km...
51 lb), 5.7 cm (2.2 in) diameter magnetic tape recorder. An acoustic micrometeorite detector was mounted to the inside of the spacecraft cylinder near the...
the electronics for the X-ray, peak memory, temperature measurements, micrometeorite detector, and data encoder, above which was the 30 mW, 108.00 MHz Minitrack...
small particle of rock in space, usually weighing less than a gram. A micrometeorite is such a particle that survives passage through Earth's atmosphere...
times faster than the rate computed from models based solely on direct micrometeorite impacts. Lunar swirls are enigmatic features found across the Moon's...
from impacts, space weathering from radiation, and bombardment by micrometeorites. Although some scientists refer to the asteroids as residual planetesimals...
damage and consequent exposure to vacuum. Ballistic panels, also called micrometeorite shielding, are incorporated into the station to protect pressurised...
mounted normal to the spin axis of the spacecraft. A micrometeorite momentum spectrometer (or micrometeorite detector) that consisted of two diaphragm and microphone...
source, which is in the public domain. "Experiment: Cadmium Sulfide Cell Micrometeorite Detector". NASA. 28 October 2021. Retrieved 5 November 2021. This article...
1960. Three photoconducting cadmium sulfide cells were used to measure micrometeorite penetration and molecular sputtering. The three cells were identical...
"Meteorites" less than ~1 mm in diameter are classified as micrometeorites, however micrometeorites differ from meteorites in that they typically melt completely...
February 16, 1965 14:37 GMT Launch Complex 37B Carried first Pegasus micrometeorite satellite (Pegasus A) in addition to boilerplate CSM AS-104 Saturn I...
appears to have been influenced by space weathering from the solar wind, micrometeorites, and the neutral components of the interstellar medium. The evolution...
designed to go into orbit around the Moon, carrying a television camera, a micrometeorite detector and a magnetometer. It was part of the first International...
collection" of dust particles on Earth. The team were able to collect 500 micrometeorites from rooftoops. Dust was collected in Oslo and in Paris, and "all particles...
repairs in dangerous environments (such as those with radiation or micrometeorite risks), routine procedures (video capture), etc. Robonaut is a joint...
erosional effects generated by the harsh environment of space (continuous micrometeorite bombardment, high-energy particle rain, impact gardening). For example...
and electrons detector, energetic particle detector, plasma probe, a micrometeorite detector, a solar cell damage experiment, and gravity field and bistatic...
of magnetic micrometeorites from ice melt used for cooking water. (He estimated Antarctic glacial ice to contain roughly 1 micrometeorite per liter.)...
particles by meteorite and micrometeorite impacts; Agglutination: welding of mineral and rock fragments together by micrometeorite-impact-produced glass;...
the translunar environment by measuring the frequency and severity of micrometeorite impacts. In September 1962, NASA planned to launch four crewed CSM flights...
wind particles, and bombardment by different sizes of meteorites and micrometeorites. Space weathering is important because these processes affect the physical...
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