It rains diamonds on Neptune and Uranus

Deep in these ice giants, extreme pressure squeezes carbon from methane into diamond, which sinks like hail toward the core. Labs have recreated the effect with lasers. Both planets are rich in methane, a molecule of one carbon and four hydrogens. Deep inside, immense pressure and heat tear it apart and squeeze the freed carbon into crystals that sink through the interior. The conditions are extreme — millions of atmospheres, thousands of degrees — and laboratories have reproduced them, shocking hydrocarbons with lasers and watching nanodiamonds form in nanoseconds. That turned a prediction into something demonstrated. The falling crystals may release heat as they sink, which could explain why Neptune radiates more energy than it receives from the Sun. Nobody has seen it happen directly, since the region lies thousands of kilometres below cloud tops no probe has entered, so the picture rests on models and lab analogues.

It rains diamonds on Neptune and Uranus

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