TBH, friend, my heart is bleeding from the ongoing war. In times like these I find it soothing to look at something beautiful, think of space, and imagine the incredible perspectives of stars and micrometeorites.
Micrometeorite NMM 3161 was found two weeks ago on a flat roof by yours truly. It’s a relatively large barred olivine (BO) type stardust particle, measuring approximately 0.45 mm. Though this is the most common micrometeorite type, I find it to be exceptionally pleasing to look at.
NMM 3161 is very dark — almost black — and has a directional orientation. In this photograph by Jan Braly Kihle and me, the front is up. Can you imagine it screaming through the atmosphere? Note the orientation of the crystal domains from the front and back; To me, they almost seem like speed lines. Note also the distinct pyramidal crystal domain at the lower right; The small white dots sprinkled over the surface are magnetite crystals.
I hope this post brought you joy! As always, I love hearing from you on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Yours truly,
Jon Larsen