Why is the Earth getting a little heavier every day from space dust?
Quick Answer
Earth gains a small amount of mass from meteoroids and cosmic dust constantly falling through the atmosphere. Most incoming material is tiny, and much of it burns up before reaching the ground.
The Full Story
Our planet is bombarded daily by dust and small rock particles from space, especially from comets and asteroids. Most of this material vaporizes high in the atmosphere, but some survives and settles to the surface. The total amount is small compared with Earth’s mass, so it does not noticeably change the planet overall. Still, the steady rain of extraterrestrial dust is one way Earth slowly accumulates material from the solar system.
Key Facts
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"Earth is constantly collecting space dust — here’s the tiny reason our planet gains mass."
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