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Astronomers get their hands dirty as they lift the veil on galactic dust

10-12-2007 · EurekAlert!

There is more to a grain of dust than meets the eye, at least for astronomers as they attempt to probe deeper into distant galaxies. Until now dust has been a nuisance because it has obscured galaxies, and the stars within them, by absorbing the radiation they emit. But more recently dust has started to present opportunities because it emits radiation itself as a consequence of being heated up by nearby stars.

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Keywords: astronomers, hands, dirty, lift, veil, galactic, dust, astronomer, hand

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