Due to the immense pressure and temperature on Uranus and Neptune, the methane that makes up these planets can, theoretically, turn into diamond rain. Under intense pressure, the bonds in a methane molecule break down, releasing the carbon atom within. These newly-freed carbon atoms stick to one another and get squeezed together into crystalline patterns, some of which are diamonds. These drop down through the layers of the mantle, where the hotter temperatures vaporise them and send them back to the upper layer to repeat the process anew. Read full article here
Science
An Eerie Poisonous Fog
If you’re visiting a farm, keep an eye out for an ominous-looking bronze fog. Nitrogen tetroxide, a red-orange gas, is made by certain bacteria during fermentation when oxygen is lacking in the crop. The lack of oxygen causes the bacteria to use the nitrate within the crops, which then produces nitrogen tetroxide. Inhalation of the gas is known to cause permanent lung damage or kill people and livestock. To prevent this, farmers have started performing nitrate tests after four weeks of fermentation. Read full article here
Merv
November 30, 2022
