Science Behind It: Why Does It Rain Diamonds On Uranus and Neptune?

Imagine a world where diamonds are not just shining in jewelry stores, but raining from the sky. This is not the plot of a sci-fi movie, but a real phenomenon that takes place inside Uranus and Neptune. Latest research from SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory shows that huge pressure inside these ice giants can cause carbon atoms to crystallize into diamonds and then rain through their atmosphere like rain. In a groundbreaking study conducted by SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (2024), researchers provide new insights into the surprising phenomenon: diamond rain on Uranus and Neptune.

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Despite being the most distant planets in our solar system, Uranus and Neptune still surprised scientists. Only one space mission (NASA’s Voyager 2) accessed them, and much of what we know comes from theoretical models, telescope observations, and laboratory experiments that simulate their extreme conditions. But how exactly did the diamond rain form? This tells us about these distant worlds?

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But how does this process happen? What makes Uranus and Neptune so unique that they create diamond showers deep in the clouds? Let’s dive into the fascinating science after the rain on Uranus and Neptune.

10 Things to Know About Uranus and Neptune

Image: NASA

Before we dig into the science of Neptune and Uranus after the rain, let’s quickly explore 10 key facts about Uranus and Neptune.

Uranus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dcfxvydbqy

Uranus is the seventh planet of the Sun, with a distance of about 1.8 billion miles (2.9 billion kilometers). Uranus is one of the most unique planets in our solar system, often called “lateral planets.” Uranus is an ice giant, four times wider than Earth, making it one of the largest planets in our solar system. It orbits the sun at a distance of 19 astronomical units (AUs), meaning that the sunlight takes 2 hours and 40 minutes to reach.

One of Uranus’ most unique features is its extreme axial inclination of 97.77 degrees, which causes it to rotate on its sides. Scientists believe that this abnormal tilt may be caused by a huge collision with an Earth-sized object a long time ago. As a result, Uranus experienced its most extreme seasons in the solar system. In its 84-year orbit, nearly a quarter of the sun shines directly on a pole, while the other half of the earth lasts for 21 years in the dark. Despite its icy appearance, Uranus’ strong winds reach 560 mph (900 km/h), shaping its turbulent atmosphere.

Inclined on its side: Uranus rotates at an inclination of 98 degrees, which makes it the only planet that roams the sunlight on its side.
The longest season in the solar system: Each season lasts for 21 Earth years due to its tilt, resulting in extreme weather conditions.
Discovery in 1781: William Herschel used a telescope to discover Uranus, making it the first planet to go beyond the naked eye.
Ice Giant: Unlike the gas giant, Uranus is mainly composed of water, methane and ammonia above the core of the rock.
The coldest planet in the solar system: Uranus has temperatures as low as -224°C (-371°F), even colder than Neptune.
Weak Ring: Uranus has 13 thin rings, which are darker and harder to see than Saturn’s bright ring.
28 known satellites: Its satellites are named after the characters of Shakespeare and Alexander Pope’s works, while Titania and Oberon are the largest.
Strange magnetic field: Uranus’ magnetic field is inclined at 60 degrees, which is inconsistent with the rotation axis.
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Voyager 2’s Only Visit: NASA’s Voyager 2 flew in 1986 and captured the first and only close-up image of the Earth.
Possible Diamond Rain: Scientists believe that extreme pressure inside Uranus turns carbon into diamonds and then falls into the rainwater inside the earth like rain.

Neptune

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jh_xdgeokfc

Neptune, the eighth and furthest planet from the sun. Neptune is an incredibly distant planet, more than 30 times from the Sun to Earth. Due to its large distance, it is the only planet in our solar system that cannot be seen with the naked eye and needs to be observed by telescopes. Neptune’s extreme conditions make its life everywhere, because its atmosphere includes frozen temperatures, storms and pressures. In terms of size, Neptune is a real giant – about four times the Earth. Think of it as perspective, if the Earth was the size of nickel, Neptune would be as big as a baseball.

The farthest planet from the sun: Neptune is 4.5 billion kilometers (2.8 billion miles), making it the farthest planet in the solar system.
Mathematical Discovery: Scientists predicted the existence of Neptune before observing Neptune in 1846, making it the first planet discovered through calculations.
The fastest wind in the solar system: Neptune’s storm has a wind speed of 2,100 km/h (1,300 mph) – the strongest hurricane speed than the Earth.
Vibrant Blue: Its atmosphere is rich in methane, absorbs red light and gives Neptune an excellent dark blue appearance.
One year lasts for 165 years: Since Neptune is far from the sun, it takes 165 years to complete an orbit.
The shortest day for any giant planet: Neptune rotates every 16 hours, making it shorter than the days on Earth.
Mysterious Giant Storm: Neptune has large dark storms, similar to the big red spots of Jupiter, but they appear and disappear.
Ring and 16 Moons: Neptune has six faint rings and 16 Moons, the largest being Triton, with a backward (retrograde) orbit.
Historic visit to Voyager 2: In 1989, NASA’s Voyager 2 became the only spacecraft to explore Neptune up close.
Diamond Rain inside Neptune: Like Uranus, extreme pressure in Neptune’s atmosphere compresses carbon into diamonds and then drops like rain.

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The science behind the diamond rain on Uranus and Neptune

Let’s explore how extreme pressure and heat inside these ice giants break down methane molecules, triggering the process of carbon atoms crystallizing into diamonds and falling into the depths of the planet like rain.

Diamond Chemical Recipes

To understand Diamond Rain, we first need to study the composition of Uranus and Neptune. These planets are classified as ice giants, which are not made of solid ice but are muddy combinations of elements, including:

Water (h₂o)
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Ammonia (NH₃)
Methane (ch₄)

Methane is especially important because it contains carbon, a key ingredient in diamonds. On Earth, diamonds form deep underground when carbon is affected by high pressure and heat. Similar processes occur within Uranus and Neptune, but at a more extreme level.

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Decompose methane under pressure

Deep inside these planets, temperatures may exceed 7,000 kelvins (12,140°F or 6,727°C), while pressures reach millions of times the Earth’s atmosphere. Under these conditions, something extraordinary happened:

Methane molecules break due to extremely high heat and pressure.
The carbon atoms are released and begin to bond together.
The chains of carbon atoms form crystal structure – here!
These diamond particles penetrate deep into the interior of the earth, just like rain falling on the ground.

But what happens when these diamonds reach even hotter core areas? Scientists believe they evaporate, creating a diamond cycle – diamonds continue to form, fall and evaporate. The repetitive process is what researchers describe as a “diamond rain.”

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How do we know that there is a diamond rain?

Since no spacecraft landed on Uranus or Neptune, how do scientists confirm this theory? The answer lies in high-voltage laboratory experiments, which simulate the internal conditions of the ice giant.

Laser Shock Wave Experiment: Scientists at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory use powerful X-ray lasers to simulate pressure inside Neptune. When they hit methane with these extreme forces, they observed that the carbon formed by the carbon forms tiny nanowood, just like the prediction process on real planets.
Computer simulation: Advanced mathematical models help predict what happens within ice giants based on known physics. These models confirm that at certain depths, temperature and pressure conditions are ideal for diamond formation.
Compared to gas giants: While Jupiter and Saturn are mainly hydrogen and helium, Uranus and Neptune have significantly higher proportions and higher proportions of carbon-based compounds – inside it, diamond formation is more likely.

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Future Exploration: Can we collect these diamonds?

The idea of sending a spacecraft to Uranus or Neptune is both exciting and challenging. NASA is currently planning a mission to Uranus in the 2030s called Uranus Orbit and Probe (UOP). Tasks can provide more insights. If future detectors collect samples from the atmosphere, they may even confirm the presence of actual diamonds inside these planets.

While it may not be possible to retrieve these space diamonds, their presence deepens our understanding of planetary physics, high-pressure chemistry and the evolution of ice giants.

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Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Optical Illusion