Scientists believe that it rains diamonds on the two ice giants of our solar system, Uranus and Neptune. These planets have extremely high temperatures and pressures in their deep atmospheres, which are thought to be ideal conditions for the formation of diamonds.
Methane, a common gas in the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune, breaks down under these extreme conditions, releasing carbon atoms. These carbon atoms then bond together to form long chains, which eventually collapse into diamond crystals. The diamonds then rain down through the planets’ atmospheres until they reach a layer where the temperature is too high, and they vaporize. The carbon vapor then rises back up to the atmosphere, where the cycle begins again.
While scientists have not been able to directly observe diamond rain on Uranus and Neptune, they have created simulations that suggest that it is a very real phenomenon. In 2017, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, created a tiny diamond in the lab by subjecting plastic to the same high temperatures and pressures that are found in the atmospheres of Uranus and Neptune.
So, while we can’t say for sure that it rains diamonds on Uranus and Neptune, the evidence suggests that it is very likely. And if it does, it would be a truly spectacular sight to behold.
Mount Everest is the tallest mountain above sea level, but it is not the tallest mountain from base to peak. That honor belongs to Mauna Kea, an inactive volcano in Hawaii.
Mauna Kea rises from the ocean floor to a height of over 33,500 feet (10,210 meters). However, only about 13,800 feet (4,200 meters) of Mauna Kea is above sea level. The rest of the mountain is hidden below the ocean surface.
So, which mountain is the tallest? It depends on how you measure it. If you measure from sea level, then Mount Everest is the tallest. But if you measure from base to peak, then Mauna Kea is the tallest.
It is also worth noting that Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is the farthest point on Earth from the center of the Earth. This is because the Earth bulges at the equator. Chimborazo is located near the equator, so its peak is farther from the center of the Earth than Mount Everest’s peak.
Ultimately, it is up to each individual to decide which mountain they consider to be the tallest. There is no right or wrong answer.
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Mount Everest is not the only contender for the title of the tallest mountain in the world, as K2 is another possible answer.
Mount Everest is not the tallest mountain if you consider the presence of snow, as there are other mountains without snow that are taller.
Sea level is not an equidistant thing from the center of the Earth, which raises questions about how the height of mountains is measured.
Mountains near the equator have a head start in the competition for being farthest from Earth’s center.
Mount Everest is not actually the highest mountain from Earth Center, it is the tenth highest summit.
Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is actually the farthest point from the center of the Earth, making it technically taller than Mount Everest.
Everest has the highest ascent from its base of any mountain in the world, except for certain volcanic mountains that begin at the bottom of the ocean.
The weight of a person on Mount Everest is lighter due to being farther from the Earth’s center and the centrifugal force caused by the spinning Earth near the equator.