|
Author
|
Topic: Celestial Bling - 10 Billion Trillion Trillion Carats
|
astro junkie
unregistered
|
posted February 13, 2004 10:00 PM
 
Astronomers spy 10 billion trillion trillion-carat diamondThe Associated Press
Last Updated 3:06 p.m. PST Friday, February 13, 2004 LOS ANGELES (AP) - If anyone's ever promised you the sun, the moon and the stars, tell 'em you'll settle for BPM 37093.
The heart of that burned-out star with the no-nonsense name is a sparkling diamond that weighs a staggering 10 billion trillion trillion carats. That's one followed by 34 zeros. The hunk of celestial bling is an estimated 2,500 miles across, said Travis Metcalfe, of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. "You would need a jeweler's loupe the size of the sun to grade this diamond," said Metcalfe, who led the team that discovered the gem. The diamond is a massive chunk of crystallized carbon that lies about 300 trillion miles from Earth, in the constellation Centaurus. The galaxy's largest diamond is formally known as a white dwarf, or the hot core of a dead sun. Astronomers have suspected for decades that white dwarfs crystallized, but only recently were able to verify the hypothesis. A paper detailing the discovery has been submitted to The Astrophysical Journal Letters for publication. ------------------
it's better to light a candle than curse the darkness... IP: Logged |
Harpyr
Newflake Posts: 0
From: Alaska
Registered: Jun 2010
|
posted February 14, 2004 02:06 AM
 IP: Logged |
NikiSpeedy
unregistered
|
posted February 14, 2004 04:17 AM
yes, WOWOWOWWWW!!!!!IP: Logged |
astro junkie
unregistered
|
posted February 14, 2004 11:06 AM
Some people are calling it "Lucy" - as in "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"...  IP: Logged |
alchemiest
unregistered
|
posted February 14, 2004 08:41 PM
*drool*Yes, I am a material girl 
IP: Logged |
proxieme
unregistered
|
posted February 14, 2004 09:08 PM
And then you have uber-geek Corri going, "Wow - how interesting scientifically!"I've never really had much of a thing for diamonds -
My first boyfriend, a Gemini, saved for way too long (we were, oh, 15) to get me a diamond solitaire pendant on a gold chain for...I dunno, some reason or another; I was grateful for the thought, and then promptly put it up and lost it.
My (Leo Sun) Grandmother gave me a couple of her old diamond rings worth a couple of thousand all together, and they're sitting in a box. My wedding band sits beautifully alone on my hands. For those who do have a thing for diamonds, etc - what's the appeal?
They're just sparkly rocks. (I don't mean that to sound argumentative - I'd actually really like to know -, I'm just a bit tired.) IP: Logged |
alchemiest
unregistered
|
posted February 14, 2004 10:02 PM
Hmm, I think it is because they are sparkly, actually. Nothing has the icy glitter of a diamond quite like.. well, a DIAMOND 
They look so pretty! And I am one of those easily distracted people who love pretty things, hehe. Actually though, I do like them more when they are with other stones like rubies or emeralds rather than by themselves. I think I just like jewellery... in the right quantities IP: Logged |
alchemiest
unregistered
|
posted February 14, 2004 10:03 PM
but don't you think sparkly rocks have a certain appeal? 
IP: Logged |
astro junkie
unregistered
|
posted February 15, 2004 01:24 AM
I'm sort of curious about the same thing. I love looking at all kinds of rocks, you know? Like the ones that are purple and yellow inside, like crystals too. Geologic type rocks. And then there's the diamond, which people go ga-ga over.Is it more of a status thing? Whoever gets the biggest diamond ring wins? There are some who think diamonds are actually not worth as much as people are paying for them, that it is just based on an imagine market value, further elevated by some imagined need... What do you think? .gloria ------------------
it's better to light a candle than curse the darkness... IP: Logged |
cristiname
Knowflake Posts: 66
From: Earth. Welcome!
Registered: Apr 2009
|
posted February 16, 2004 09:02 AM
I don't know what it is about me, but I'm a sucker for shiny stones, anything glittering actually. Don't care for diamonds or whatever; just shiny, glitery anhything! jewels, cloths, shoes, whatever. it's just... fascinating. I love the really coloured ones and you don't get deep red in a diamond, do you? IP: Logged |
proxieme
unregistered
|
posted February 16, 2004 04:59 PM
There are some who think diamonds are actually not worth as much as people are paying for them, that it is just based on an imagine[d] market value, further elevated by some imagined need...Couldn't that same point be argued for any "extraneous" lifestyle items, though?
The main thing that gets me about the diamond fixation is stuff like this:
that communicates to men/significant others that their worth as a mate rests upon the size of the rock they can buy.
It's just...confounding to me, y'know?
IP: Logged |
astro junkie
unregistered
|
posted February 16, 2004 05:38 PM
Exactly Prox -And I'm not the type of girl who's ever been able to impel a man to feel he has to shower me with stuff like that, although I wish I'd receive more flowers. But the thing with diamonds as far as the market, is they are treated like the gold commodity. But don't they lose their value? I don't know. It's true diamonds are good for other things, like for turntables and cutting glass, and whatever... big diamond rings are good for punching a punk in the face... (hee hee) .gloria ------------------
it's better to light a candle than curse the darkness... IP: Logged | |
Lindaland
UBBFriend: Email This Page to Someone! 
