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This is an aerosol particle.
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In real life, you could barely see it.
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It's just a little speck suspended in the atmosphere anywhere from a few days to several years.
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It could be dust from a desert.
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Or salt from ocean spray.
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It could have been blasted out of a volcano.
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Or created during a forest fire.
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It might have flown out of a factory smokestack.
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Or a truck's tailpipe.
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Depending on what it is—and where it is—an aerosol particle can do some impressive things.
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Like cool the planet by reflecting sunlight back into space.
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Or by collecting water vapor to build a cloud.
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On the other hand, some aerosol particles trap sunlight and heat the air, thus preventing clouds from forming.
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Other aerosols can host chemical reactions that damage the ozone layer.
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And down on Earth, they can even cause health problems, such as lung and heart disease.
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That layer of hazy air pollution above big cities?
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Yep, it contains aerosol particles.
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Aerosols.
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They're tiny.
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They're powerful.
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NASA studies them with satellites and instruments on the International Space Station, and with specialized aircraft and ground-based devices.
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Because when it comes to understanding our environment, our climate, and how it's all changing, little particles make a big difference!