For decades, scientists have considered using screens or other objects to block 1-2% of the sun's radiation in order to help fight global warming. A study led by the Center for Astrophysics -Harvard & Smithsonian and the University of Utah proposes putting a moon dust shield between the Earth and the sun. The idea the team of astronomers came up with was inspired by their research on planet formation.
Two scenarios were analyzed in computer simulations.
In the first scenario, the authors proposed to create shade by launching dust from a space station platform positioned at L1 Lagrange Point (the closest point between Earth and the sun where the gravitational forces are balanced). They found that the dust would be easily blown off course, so an endless supply of new batches would need to be blasted into orbit every few days for the plan to be effective.
In the second scenario, the authors simulated the way lunar dust would scatter when shot from a platform on the moon and found that if the trajectory was aimed at L1, an effective sunshield could be formed. Even if solar radiation eventually disperses the dust, the advantage of this scenario is that less energy is needed.
However, don't expect to see the cloud too soon. The authors caution that their study only looks at the potential impact of a strategy, not whether it is practical or not. They stress that it is important to explore ideas from different fields in order to tackle the critical problem of climate change.
Source: The Harvard Gazette