New Technique for Finding Space Diamonds
Written by Fraser Cain
When researchers examine meteorites, they often find them sprinkled with teeny tiny diamonds – 25,000 times smaller than a grain of sand. In fact, these nanodiamonds make up 3% of the carbon found in meteorites. Astronomers think diamonds might actually be common out there in the Universe, and they've developed a new technique to find them.
The first hint of space diamonds came in the 1980s, when scientists studying meteorites discovered they were sprinkled with nanometer-sized diamonds. This has to be an indication of the environment of the stellar environment where the meteorites formed. There could be 10,000 trillion particles in a single gram of dust and gas.
Researchers at NASA's Ames Research Center developed a computer simulation that simulated the conditions of the interstellar medium that would be rich in nanodiamonds. According to their simulation, clouds with these particles should be visible to NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope.
The diamonds haven't been seen in space because astronomers haven't been looking in the right places. Since it takes a lot of high-energy ultraviolet light to make the diamonds shine, the researchers think Spitzer should be examining the environments around very hot, young stars, which produce large amounts of ultraviolet radiation.
Here on Earth, diamonds are formed by the intense heat and pressure of the Earth's interior working over long periods. So how can they form in space? Instead of the heat and pressure we have on Earth, their environment is the exact opposite: diffuse clouds of cold molecular gas.
Astronomers aren't sure, but now that they've got a technique to spot them with Spitzer, they'll be studying gas clouds to understand the common conditions.
Original Source: NASA/Spitzer News Release
Filed under: Astronomy
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February 26th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Beatles were right, "Lucy in the sky with……………."
February 26th, 2008 at 10:53 pm
[...] for my 20% Time I read a blog post that was about space diamonds. The blog was titled "New Technique for Finding Space Diamonds" , written by Fraser Cain  and was found at Universe Today blog. In the blog the mention [...]
February 27th, 2008 at 7:56 am
Why?
Why are we interested in space diamonds? Two small to appreciate on a ring. To small to even coat a drill bit. Is this just for poops and giggles? Is there a point?
February 27th, 2008 at 10:53 am
Where there's lil ones, there's bigguns.
February 27th, 2008 at 1:20 pm
An idea for a sci-fi game or story: Mining the cosmos for diamonds. Besides, didn't someone recently discover that so-called black or carbonado diamonds found in Brazil and Central Africa came from space? And, speaking of "bigguns," how about that recently discovered old star's heart that is totally a diamond (actually, a crystallised white dwarf)? All we need now are some pirates …
February 27th, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Being the fourth most abundant element in the universe by weight, I'm sure the universe is rife with them of all sizes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon
I wouldn't think "mining the cosmos" would be profitable, though.
They are expensive to purchase on Earth only because of unscrupulous marketing techniques.
February 27th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
An afterthought:
Something rarer found in meteorites, now available man-made, and cheaper than diamonds; Moissanite!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moissanite
February 29th, 2008 at 8:56 am
Where does that come from, PETER PAN? (the name you picked is revealing about yourself, admit it, or not)
March 11th, 2008 at 11:50 am
i love diamonds and my class does to but ,me wowo its awesome will you send some pictures
March 15th, 2008 at 11:36 pm
[...] and temperatures that dip to minus 400 degrees Fahrenheit creates diamonds in space. These space diamonds are 25,000 times smaller than a grain of sand and found in meteorites. Space diamonds are made of [...]
January 19th, 2009 at 9:48 am
i have perfected a divice that will pinpoint space diamonds on earth who would be interested ?