Beatles fans are certainly quite familiar with the notion that diamonds are in the sky. Now, though, astronomers have been able to point to evidence that diamonds really do exist in the sky and not just in the imagination of the Beatles.The largest known diamond to exist in the universe was discovered to be situated in the sky above Australia. The diamond was discovered inside a white dwarf star within the Centaurus constellation. The constellation is located directly next to the Southern Cross. The diamond is estimated to weigh some 2.27 thousand trillion trillion tonnes. To put that number into diamond terms: that is the equivalent of 10 billion trillion trillion worth of carats. In comparison to the largest diamond ever found on Earth, it is substantially larger. In fact, the largest diamond to be discovered on Earth to date is now part of the British Crown and weighs in at a “mere” 530 carats: the Star of Africa. This is just a minuscule fraction of the large diamond discovered within the white dwarf star above Australia.
The diamond discovered in the sky, however, is far from what one might expect to find in any leading jewelry store. A layer of helium and hydrogen gases cover the diamond; which has been nicknamed Lucy in reference to the popular song by the Beatles, Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds. Officially, the star is known as BPM 37093.
The star has been noted as pulsating, with light fluctuating from within it at intervals that have been found to be quite regular. Astronomers have noted that they were able to actually measure the pulsations and thereby study the interior of the white dwarf star even though it was virtually hidden.
This is similar to the seismograph process that is used to measure earthquakes within the interior of the Earth. Scientists have further concluded that this could indicate that other white dwarf stars may also contain diamond cores. In fact, scientists have further speculated that our sun will actually transform into a white dwarf in 5 billion years after it dies. Two billion years following that event, the core of the sun would crystallize and in essence create a huge diamond within the centre of the solar system.
The discovery of Lucy has prompted other astronomers to search the night skies for stars which may have more than a passing resemblance to a diamond.
It is generally believed that diamonds within the sky are created from the fiery depths that actually cause stars to shine so brightly. As we have known for quite some time, diamonds are created from carbon. When stars begin to release carbon as they die, the result can be a brilliant diamond. These diamonds are referred to as interstellar microdiamonds. Astronomers have also now found them in meteoroids, which are known as carbonaceous chrondrites. The process of tracking interstellar diamonds is certainly not easy. Astronomers must be able to make calculations which are largely based in theory in order to determine the electronic and infrared properties which are associated with interstellar diamonds.
An infrared telescope has been introduced which is hoped to help in the process of discovering interstellar diamonds. It would certainly take a telescope with a tremendous amount of strength to locate the diamonds as most interstellar diamonds, not counting Lucy, are quite small. In fact, it would take more than 20,000 such diamonds to fit inside on grain of sand.
Of course, the fact that Lucy is some 50 light years away means that there will be no opportunity to mind the diamond; at least not any time soon. Despite the fact that the diamonds are not anticipated to be used in commercial applications, the study of interstellar diamonds could assist scientists in understanding more about the properties of carbon and how carbon plays a role in the development of diamonds. The study of diamonds within space may also help researchers to understand more about the creation of black diamonds, frequently referred to as carbonados, which are now believed to hail from the heavens as well. Black diamonds were first discovered during the 19th century in Brazil and since that time they have been revered as not only beautiful but also mysterious as well.
The origins of black diamonds baffled researchers for a number of yeas due to the fact that they did not meet with the standards of other diamonds. In addition, black diamonds are not typically found in the same locations as clear diamonds. Following the discovery of carbon isotopes within black diamonds, the scientific world was stunned to learn that black diamonds might actually come from space.
The discovery of Lucy and other diamonds within the sky would certainly lend credence to the theory that at least some diamonds may very well hail from much farther away than we might suspect.
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