Scientists Examine Diamonds Formed in Space

The BBC reported that a new study published in the journal “Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta” shows that diamonds can form in outer space and fall to Earth. To find that out, scientists looked at samples of a meteorite that fell to Earth in 2008.

As quoted in the market news:

It was the first time a meteorite had been identified and tracked before it hit the planet, and meteorite hunters rushed to the scene. Many fragments of the Almahata Sitta meteorite, as it became known, were recovered.

It quickly became clear that the rock fragments contained diamonds. That wasn’t too surprising: some kinds of meteorite often do. But a new study suggests those diamonds were far larger than any yet seen in a meteorite.

According to the scientists involved, that means these diamonds formed in an unusual way. Large diamonds are most likely to form inside a really big lump of rock – like a planet. If they’re right, these diamonds come from a planet that existed when our solar system was forming, and that has since been shattered.

Click here to read the full report from the BBC.