Saturday, August 03, 2019

Book Excerpt for the Day


    Another planet has been discovered that apparently may be made of diamonds.  It is called 55 Cancri e and is about double the size of the Earth but weighs about eight times more.  (…)  The planet was found to be rich in carbon, which might constitute about a third of its mass.  It is also scalding hot, with a temperature of 5,400 degrees Kelvin.  One theory postulates that the heat and pressure in the core may be extraordinary enough to give rise to a diamond planet.  However, these glittering deposits, if they indeed exist, are forty light-years from us, so mining them is beyond our current capabilities.


    (from The Future of Humanity by Michio Kaku)

  9½*/10.  The complete review is here.
.

No comments: