Space Duster SiO2 by Celia Berrell
A man-made material
Silica aerogel
recently travelled in outer space
collecting the particles
shed by a comet’s tail
bringing them back to a NASA base.
A frothy glass matrix
of mostly air – sandy mix
lighter than feathers and stronger than steel
is brittle-snap crazy
and seems smoky-hazy.
When rubbed on a surface it gives out a squeal!
This stiff-sponge sensation
has great insulation
preventing the passage of heat through its layer.
Like a piece of blue sky
that is crisp, light and dry
its edges look fuzzy, like snap-frozen air.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GfUIc6efV3w
Lawrence Livermore Quest Lab video