NASA Turns to Students for Innovative Moon Dust Solutions

A University of Utah-led study explored the potential of using dust to shield sunlight and mitigate the effects of global warming. The authors found that launching dust from Earth to a way station at the “Lagrange Point” between Earth and the sun (L1) would be most effective but would require astronomical cost and effort. An alternative is to use moondust, which could be a cheap and effective way to shade the Earth. The team of astronomers applied a technique used to study planet formation around distant stars to discover that lunar dust was just right to effectively work as a sun shield.