Researchers solve the mystery of the zodiacal light
APR 19, 2010
DOI: 10.1063/PT.5.024256
ScienceNow : The orbits of Earth and other planets lie within a thick, pancake-shaped cloud of dust whose faint emission of reflected sunlight is called zodiacal light. The dust origin was first proposed in 1684 by Nicolas Fatio de Duillier. Now, David Nesvorny of Southwest Research Institute has explained where the dust originates: from comets whose orbits take them no closer to the Sun than Jupiter’s orbit.
© 2010 American Institute of Physics
