Snowballs entering the atmosphere Click on image for full size (27K JPEG) Goddard and the University of Iowa

These snowballs can be as large as a small house! Can you imagine trying to throw a snowball that big? They are not dangerous to humans on Earth, because the snowballs break apart while they are still very far away from us.

These snowballs are entering the atmosphere at a rate of 5-30 snowballs per minute, or thousands of snowballs in a given day. That's more snowballs than you could make even during a long winter day!

Snowballs entering the atmosphere Click on image for full size (27K JPEG) Goddard and the University of Iowa

Dr. Louis Frank of the University of Iowa led the team that made the discovery. The research team found that these snowballs could be up to the size of a small house! They are not dangerous to life on Earth, because the snowballs break apart while they are still very far away from the surface of the Earth.

The objects are mostly made up of water. The snowballs may contain organic material, material that supports life. They are thought to be comet-like objects which contain frozen water, and so are termed "dirty snowballs." These snowballs are entering the atmosphere at a rate of 5-30 snowballs per minute, or thousands of snowballs in a given day.

This finding has made the Polar spacecraft's first year in orbit very successful.

Snowballs entering the atmosphere Click on image for full size (27K JPEG) Goddard and the University of Iowa

Dr. Louis Frank of the University of Iowa led the team in research endeavors. The research team found that these snowballs could be up to the size of a small house! They are not however dangerous to life on Earth, because the snowballs disintegrate while they are still in the upper atmosphere. Frank noted, "They break up and are destroyed at 600 to 5,000 miles above the Earth. In fact, this relatively gentle 'cosmic rain' --which possibly contains simple organic compounds--may well have nurtured the development of life on our planet."

The objects, though they may contain organic material, are mostly composed of water. They are thought to be comet-like objects which contain frozen water, and so are termed "dirty snowballs." These snowballs are entering the atmosphere at a rate of 5-30 snowballs per minute, or thousands of snowballs in a given day.

Though this finding is still somewhat controversial, these objects may explain the existence of previously found "atmospheric holes." What is not controversial is the success of the Polar spacecraft's first year in orbit.