IS IT RAINING DIAMONDS ON JUPITER AND SATURN? SCIENTISTS BELIEVE THAT MOLTEN ROCK COULD BE 'MINED' FROM PLANETS IN THE FUTURE
* Diamonds are formed by lightning storms which turn methane into carbon
* This carbon hardens into pieces of graphite and then solid diamond
* As the diamonds fall, the growing pressures heat the gems into liquid diamond
By ELLIE ZOLFAGHARIFARDPUBLISHED: 13:51 GMT, 14 October 2013 UPDATED: 14:16 GMT, 14 October 2013
What if it rained diamonds instead of grey drizzle?That's exactly what could be happening on Jupiter and Saturn, according to American researchers.The two gas giants' atmospheres could be filled with huge chunks of diamonds that could one day be taken back to Earth.At lower depths of the planets, the huge dazzling gems are likely to be melted under extreme pressures and temperatures. Saturn and Jupiter's atmospheres could be filled with huge chunks of diamonds that could one day be taken back to EarthThe average diamond could be as much as a centimetre in diameter, but some may grow so large that they could be described as 'diamondbergs', said the resarchers.Planetary scientists Mona Delitsky of California Specialty Engineering and Kevin Baines of the University of Wisconsin-Madison conducted the research.Delitsky and Baines attempted to trace the fate of soot as it sinks downward on both planets.They believe the diamonds are formed by lightning storms which turn methane into carbon soot. As this carbon falls it hardens into pieces of graphite and then diamond.In a recent book, Alien Seas, a chapter by Baines and Delitsky named 'The Seas of Saturn' describes robot mining ships plying the deep interior of Saturn in the far distant future and collecting chunks of diamondsDamonds are formed by storms, such as the above storm pictured on Jupiter, which turn methane into carbon. As this carbon falls it hardens into pieces of graphite and then diamondAs the diamonds continue to to fall the pressure and temperature is so extreme, there's no way the diamonds could remain solid.It's uncertain what happens to carbon down there, but one possibility the scientists are suggesting is that a 'sea' of liquid diamond could form.While it has been known for 30 years that diamond may be stable in the cores of Uranus and Neptune, Jupiter and Saturn were thought to be too hot to have conditions suitable for precipitation of solid diamond.While it has been known for 30 years that diamond may be stable in the cores of Uranus and Neptune, Jupiter and Saturn (pictured) were thought to be too hot to have conditions suitable for precipitation of solid diamondIn a recent book, Alien Seas, a chapter by Baines and Delitsky named 'The Seas of Saturn' describes robot mining ships plying the deep interior of Saturn in the far distant future and collecting chunks of diamonds.The artwork shows robot hands reaching out to capture diamonds and collect them for transport to Earth.The unpublished findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society in Denver, Colorado
Origin: ufoproofs.blogspot.com
* Diamonds are formed by lightning storms which turn methane into carbon
* This carbon hardens into pieces of graphite and then solid diamond
* As the diamonds fall, the growing pressures heat the gems into liquid diamond
By ELLIE ZOLFAGHARIFARDPUBLISHED: 13:51 GMT, 14 October 2013 UPDATED: 14:16 GMT, 14 October 2013
What if it rained diamonds instead of grey drizzle?That's exactly what could be happening on Jupiter and Saturn, according to American researchers.The two gas giants' atmospheres could be filled with huge chunks of diamonds that could one day be taken back to Earth.At lower depths of the planets, the huge dazzling gems are likely to be melted under extreme pressures and temperatures. Saturn and Jupiter's atmospheres could be filled with huge chunks of diamonds that could one day be taken back to EarthThe average diamond could be as much as a centimetre in diameter, but some may grow so large that they could be described as 'diamondbergs', said the resarchers.Planetary scientists Mona Delitsky of California Specialty Engineering and Kevin Baines of the University of Wisconsin-Madison conducted the research.Delitsky and Baines attempted to trace the fate of soot as it sinks downward on both planets.They believe the diamonds are formed by lightning storms which turn methane into carbon soot. As this carbon falls it hardens into pieces of graphite and then diamond.In a recent book, Alien Seas, a chapter by Baines and Delitsky named 'The Seas of Saturn' describes robot mining ships plying the deep interior of Saturn in the far distant future and collecting chunks of diamondsDamonds are formed by storms, such as the above storm pictured on Jupiter, which turn methane into carbon. As this carbon falls it hardens into pieces of graphite and then diamondAs the diamonds continue to to fall the pressure and temperature is so extreme, there's no way the diamonds could remain solid.It's uncertain what happens to carbon down there, but one possibility the scientists are suggesting is that a 'sea' of liquid diamond could form.While it has been known for 30 years that diamond may be stable in the cores of Uranus and Neptune, Jupiter and Saturn were thought to be too hot to have conditions suitable for precipitation of solid diamond.While it has been known for 30 years that diamond may be stable in the cores of Uranus and Neptune, Jupiter and Saturn (pictured) were thought to be too hot to have conditions suitable for precipitation of solid diamondIn a recent book, Alien Seas, a chapter by Baines and Delitsky named 'The Seas of Saturn' describes robot mining ships plying the deep interior of Saturn in the far distant future and collecting chunks of diamonds.The artwork shows robot hands reaching out to capture diamonds and collect them for transport to Earth.The unpublished findings were presented at the annual meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society in Denver, Colorado
Origin: ufoproofs.blogspot.com
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