Lasers shine a new light on the space junk air pollution problem

Three green beams of light shoot skyward out of a building surrounded by a snowy alpine landscape.

Scientists are using a new technique to study incoming space debris and its effects on Earth's atmosphere.

Observational evidence is being gathered that the ablation of space debris can be detected by ground-based light detection and ranging (LiDAR), a remote-sensing technology that uses laser beams to measure precise distances and movement in an environment, in real time.