Mysterious white dust falling from the sky has caused a stir among residents in the United States, leading to various conspiracy theories.
Last year, people witnessed an unusual phenomenon as white dust descended from the sky, leaving them baffled and searching for answers.
Videos capturing these scenes went viral on TikTok, fueling speculation and wild theories.
Damon Matson, a meteorologist from DC News Now, offered a reasonable explanation, suggesting that the dust could be from the desert southwest.
He attributed its presence to a powerful storm system that carried wintry weather to the northern parts of the country and severe weather to the southern regions.
As the storm moved across the country, it picked up the dust and carried it along, leaving it suspended in the atmosphere.
During the online conversations, some people playfully compared the white dust to the movie Cocaine Bear, which came out in 2023.
They humorously speculated that the powder might be a clever promotional tactic for the film.
The theories about the dust's source differed among individuals, with some suggesting a possible link to a train accident in Ohio.
In that incident, a fire broke out in several train cars due to hazardous chemicals. However, authorities swiftly refuted this idea, clarifying that there was no association between the dust and the derailment.
To provide a definitive answer, dust samples were analyzed by the West Virginia University's Department of Geology and Geography, as well as their Shared Research Facility.
The results revealed that the substance consisted primarily of pollen, with trace amounts of mineral matter. This confirmed that the mysterious white dust was largely composed of natural elements.
People started speculating that the objects might be meteors, but The Aerospace Corporation, a non-profit organization supported by the US, explained that the occurrences were probably due to "space junk."
This refers to leftover parts of satellites or other man-made objects that re-enter the Earth's atmosphere.
