Cosmic dust

High school (ages 12+)
Space & Astronomy

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cosmic-dust

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. How big is Cosmic dust?Particles range from a few nanometers to approximately 0.1 mm (100 μm)
2. What is the primary origins?Condensation from stellar outflows (AGB stars, supernovae) and accretion in the ISM
3. Where can we find cosmic dust?Dust can be found between galaxies, inside galaxies, inside solar systems, and around planets in rings.
4. How does cosmic dust help create planets?In disks around young stars, dust grains collide and stick together, slowly growing into planetesimals and eventually forming planets.

Interstellar Medium (ISM): The matter and radiation that exist in the space between the star systems of a galaxy.
Refractory Materials: Substances that are resistant to melting or vaporizing, capable of forming solid grains at high temperatures.
Protoplanetary Disk: A rotating disk of dense gas and dust surrounding a newly formed star, from which planets may eventually form.