okt 282013
 
Carbon Worlds Likely Bone-Dry and Lifeless

  Planets rich in carbon, including so-called diamond planets, may lack oceans, according to NASA-funded theoretical research.  This artist’s concept illustrates the fate of two different planets: the one on the left is similar to Earth, made up largely of silicate-based rocks with oceans coating its surface. The one on the right is rich in [continue reading]

okt 122012
 
The Girl's Best Friend Found: A Big Diamond Planet

  New research led by Yale University scientists suggests that a rocky planet twice Earth’s size orbiting a nearby star is a diamond planet. Family portraits of two planetary systems: A simulation of the silhouette of planet 55 Cancri e passing in front of  its parent star, compared to the Earth and Jupiter transiting our [continue reading]