Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Space

Diamond meteorites may come from a lost ancient planet

By Leah Crane

17 April 2018

Âé¶¹´«Ã½. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Could micro-diamonds reveal the secrets of the early solar system?

SEBASTIAN KAULITZKI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Shards of a lost planet from the early solar system may give us evidence of the chaos that surrounded the birth of the terrestrial planets, including Earth. Researchers may have found the first relics of an enormous protoplanet that was smashed up into a type of meteorite we see today called a ureilite.

Most of the meteorites we have found on Earth are thought to be bits of asteroids that never grew to be planet sized. Now, at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with Âé¶¹´«Ã½ events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, today with our introductory offers

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop