Deep inside these ice giants, crushing pressure may squeeze carbon into diamonds that sink like hail. Lab experiments have made tiny diamonds under similar conditions, but no one has seen it happen on the planets.
Truth label: Debated. Serious people disagree. You get both sides.
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In the lab
In 2017, scientists blasted plastic with lasers to mimic the pressure and saw nanodiamonds form.
Oceans of diamond?
Some models suggest liquid carbon layers deep inside, with diamond 'icebergs' floating in them.
Learn
- Why it matters. It could explain the strange magnetic fields of these planets.
Test yourself
Has diamond rain been seen on Neptune?
No, only made in labs. It is predicted and recreated in labs, not observed.
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