A NASA mission to study the role that dust plays in Earth’s weather has started.
The study will be conducted by an instrument called an EMIT.
EMIT – stands for Earth Surface Mineral Dust Source Investigation. It will be installed on the International Space Station, where it will study the movement of dust around the world.
It was also looking at what minerals the dust is made of.
Scientists hope that this information will help them understand what effect dust has on the planet, climate change, and human populations.
Desert regions produce most of the mineral dust that makes its way into Earth’s atmosphere.
Every year, strong winds carry more than one billion metric tons of mineral dust from these areas through the atmosphere.
International Space Station Facts!
The International Space Station is 378m from end to end.
Experts hope that by being attached to the International Space Station (ISS), EMIT will be able to map the world’s mineral dust source regions as the ISS orbits the Earth.
EMIT also contains a special device called an imaging spectrometer – which breaks down light and will help scientists find out what the dust is made of.
