University of Kent scientists are roaming the roofs of cathedrals spread across the UK in search of dust particles that might have accumulated over the centuries. 

Dr Penny Wozniakiewicz and Dr Matthias van Ginneken are hoping to find cosmic dust on the buildings and use it to understand how much material from space reaches Earth and becomes part of the planet or its atmosphere.

Cosmic dust includes interplanetary dust particles (IDP) – particles from comets, asteroids and other bodies generally smaller than 0.1mm in diameter. IDPs are small and decelerate quickly enough when falling into Earth’s atmosphere. However, due to their inaccessibility, cathedral roofs might have held on to some of these particles. 

“You want the site as undisturbed as possible,” said Wozniakiewicz told The Guardian. “The dust is coming in everywhere, but the rooftops offer an opportunity to collect the dust and not have people trampling all over it.”

The dust particles come...