It rains diamonds on Neptune and Uranus
Deep in their atmospheres, extreme pressure squeezes carbon from methane into diamond crystals, which sink slowly towards the core — a diamond rain, confirmed in lab experiments.
More space facts
See all →A day on Venus is longer than its year
Venus takes about 243 Earth days to spin once on its axis but only about 225 Earth days to go around the Sun. It also spins backwards compared to most planets.
Read the fact →The footprints on the Moon will last millions of years
The Moon has no wind, water or weather to wear them away. Apollo boot prints from 1969 are still crisp; only slow micrometeorite rain will eventually erase them.
Read the fact →There are more stars than grains of sand on Earth
Astronomers estimate roughly 10^22 to 10^24 stars in the observable universe. Every beach and desert on Earth put together holds far fewer grains of sand.
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