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Nature 420, 273-274 (21 November 2002) | doi:10.1038/420273a

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Planetary science: Intermediate impact factors

Robert Jedicke

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No statistical documentation of objects of a certain size that enter Earth's atmosphere has hitherto been available. Analysis of data from US government satellites has bridged the gap.

The natural world that scientists explore often seems pathologically arranged to thwart discovery. To peer inside the nucleus, we must build massive accelerators and detectors the size of office buildings; the mysterious beginnings of our Universe are shrouded by tremendous distances, requiring telescope mirrors as big as swimming pools to collect photons liberated billions of years ago.