Just imagine, when you walk in the rain you are experiencing an encounter with extraterrestrial material.  Floating in our atmosphere are small, microscopic bits of matter called micrometeorites.  Since these tiny objects are too light to fall to earth on their own, they borrow the adhesive force that water molecules offer and hitch a ride on a raindrop.

Collecting a sample of these tiny invaders is surprisingly easy and can be done using a small assortment of “non-scientific” instruments.

Materials:

• 4 lint-free cloths
• 3 large glass dishes (like a pie plate or a casserole dish)
• 1 small glass dish (a 50 mL beaker works well)
• 2-3 Liters of distilled water
• 1 small strong magnet (preferably a rare earth neodymium magnet)
• a glass stirring rod
• a clear plastic bag
• a hot plate
• 3-4 microscope slides
• a microscope (or magnifying glass)

Proceed to Step 2