The project – delivered in collaboration with The Box, Plymouth – is being funded through the Explore Awards programme, run by the University to help researchers develop meaningful collaborations with communities and partners locally and globally.

It will be split into three phases, the first will involve a series of public talks and workshops in schools, libraries, and community centres, along with guides and videos explaining what micrometeorites are and how to find them.

The second phase will encourage participants to gather sediment from rooftops and gutters, and using magnets, sieves, and microscopes – all provided by the project team and supported by online tutorials – to isolate candidate particles.

Phase three will see isolated candidate particles analysed at the Plymouth Electron Microscopy Centre (PEMC), one of the University’s state-of-the-art research facilities on Plymouth Science Park, with the results from these analyses being shared via a project website and a public exhibition showcasing discoveries.