Article
Article
Cosmic spherules
Article By:
Brownlee, Donald E., II Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.
Last reviewed:November 2019
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.164025
Solidified droplets of extraterrestrial materials that melted either during high-velocity entry into the atmosphere or during hypervelocity impact of large meteoroids onto the Earth's surface. Cosmic spherules are rounded particles that are millimeter to microscopic in size and that can be identified by unique physical properties. Although great quantities of the spheres exist on the Earth, they are ordinarily found only in special environments where they have concentrated and are least diluted by terrestrial particulates. See also: Meteor
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