In real life, you could barely see it.

It's just a little speck suspended in the atmosphere anywhere from a few days to several years.

It could be dust from a desert.

Or salt from ocean spray.

It could have been blasted out of a volcano.

Or created during a forest fire.

It might have flown out of a factory smokestack.

Or a truck's tailpipe.

Depending on what it is—and where it is—an aerosol particle can do some impressive things.

Like cool the planet by reflecting sunlight back into space.

Or by collecting water vapor to build a cloud.

On the other hand, some aerosol particles trap sunlight and heat the air, thus preventing clouds from forming.

Other aerosols can host chemical reactions that damage the ozone layer.

And down on Earth, they can even cause health problems, such as lung and heart disease.

That layer of hazy air pollution above big cities?

Yep, it contains aerosol particles.

Aerosols.

They're tiny.

They're powerful.

NASA studies them with satellites and instruments on the International Space Station, and with specialized aircraft and ground-based devices.

Because when it comes to understanding our environment, our climate, and how it's all changing, little particles make a big difference!