Why a ‘Cosmic Dust Particle’ Hits Earth Every 16 Minutes
Interpreting data gathered from its Dust EXperiment (DEX), on 5th January 2026, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) confirmed that an interplanetary dust particle (IDP) enters Earth’s atmosphere roughly every 1,000 seconds, or about once every 16 minutes.
What is the Dust EXperiment (DEX)?
- DEX (Dust EXperiment) is a 3-kg scientific instrument developed by the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL).
- It was launched aboard XPoSat on January 1, 2024.
- DEX is India’s first instrument designed to detect high-speed, short-lived (high-transient) interplanetary dust particles.
What is interplanetary dust?
- These are tiny solid particles originating from comets, asteroids, meteors, and other celestial bodies.
- Though microscopic, they ....
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