cosmic dust

noun

: very fine particles of solid matter found in any part of the universe

Examples of cosmic dust in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Its imagers, which include the Near-Infrared Camera and Mid-Infrared Instrument, allow JWST to look beyond cosmic dust and sense weak and ancient light from up to 13 billion years ago, just 800,000 years after the universe was born. Popular Science, 12 July 2023 The spacecraft will fly by the asteroid and study its cosmic dust; cameras will also image its surface. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Dec. 2023 Astronomers also suspect that the bright galaxy NGC 2444 has a greater gravitational force and is pulling on NGC 2445, creating the glittering triangle of cosmic dust and newborn stars, per a statement. Elizabeth Gamillo, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Mar. 2022 To recreate these cosmic dust collisions, a team of researchers had to first create realistic dust balls to mimic the cosmic dust that forms planets. Chelsea Gohd, Discover Magazine, 22 Nov. 2018 But in a new paper published Wednesday in the journal Nature, astronomers found a specific type of cosmic dust, high in carbon, in young distant galaxies just 800 million years after the Big Bang. Popular Science, 19 July 2023 The jets occur when a star first bursts through its natal envelope of cosmic dust, shooting out a pair of opposing jets into space. Julia Musto, Fox News, 12 July 2023 But interstellar space is littered with opaque clouds of cosmic dust, tiny grains of rocky or sooty material that block our view of what lies beyond. Phil Plait, Scientific American, 4 Aug. 2023 Scientists tried to look beyond large clouds of cosmic dust, treated more like obstacles than subjects of study in their own right. Popular Science, 19 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cosmic dust.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cosmic dust was in 1881

Cite this Entry

“Cosmic dust.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cosmic%20dust. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cosmic dust

noun
: very fine particles of solid matter found in any part of the universe
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