Astromineralogy is an exciting new field, a combination of astronomy and mineralogy. The goal is to use astronomical obser-observations — usually at mid-infrared (MIR) wavelengths (2-30 μm) — to determine the size, crystal structure and chemical make-up of dust grains in space, often around protostars. Such observations reveal much about the dust distribution in protoplanetary disks, probing their architecture and evolution, and about rocky material in newly forming solar systems — the material that will ultimately form Earth-like planets.
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