Occitanie: did you observe the orange sky this weekend? Now you can help science!

Researchers from the Center for Space and Biosphere Studies, located in Toulouse, have launched a call for contributions from the general public to study the phenomenon.

The inhabitants of Occitanie – and beyond those who live near the Pyrenees and the Alps – were able to observe a curious phenomenon this weekend. A strange light, a sky that takes on a beautiful orange color, and a thick layer of sand on the snow.

A phenomenon that interests researchers

As we indicated to you on Saturday, this phenomenon was due to a sandstorm in the northeast of Morocco. This sand, carried by strong winds, came to mix with the snow. A well-known process, but which surprised Saturday by its intensity.

So much so that researchers are interested. Those of the Center for Space and Biosphere Studies (Cesbios – CNRS), located in Toulouse, have launched a call for contributions from the general public. The objective is to ask individuals to collect samples in the Pyrenees and the Alps to quantify the volume of sand fallen per square meter.

How to proceed for the sample?

To participate, the scientists ask you to follow the following process: take the entire layer of orange snow, take a photo with a smartphone to geolocate the location of the sample, store the sample at home without necessarily putting it in the fridge, note the diameter of the collection vessel. More info here.

–