rhamphotheca: Spitzer Finds Solid Bucky Balls in Space provided by JPL/NASA Astronomers using data from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope have, for the first time, discovered buckyballs in a solid form in space. Prior to this discovery, the microscopic carbon spheres had been found only in gas form in the cosmos. Formally named buckministerfullerene, buckyballs are named after their resemblance to the late architect Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes. They are made up of 60 carbon molecules arranged into a hollow sphere, like asoccer ball. Their unusual structure makes them ideal candidates for electrical and chemical applications on Earth, including superconducting materials, medicines, water purification and armor. In the latest discovery, scientists using Spitzer detected tiny specks of matter, or particles, consisting of stacked buckyballs. They found the particles around a pair of stars called “XX Ophiuchi,” 6,500 light-years from Earth, and detected enough to fill the equivalent in volume to 10,000 Mount Everests… (read more: PhysOrg)     (image: NASA/JPL-CalTech) Buckyballs are by far the coolest arrangement of atoms that I’ve seen.

rhamphotheca:

Spitzer Finds Solid Bucky Balls in Space

provided by JPL/NASA

Astronomers using data from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope have, for the first time, discovered buckyballs in a solid form in space. Prior to this discovery, the microscopic carbon spheres had been found only in gas form in the cosmos.

Formally named buckministerfullerene, buckyballs are named after their resemblance to the late architect Buckminster Fuller’s geodesic domes. They are made up of 60  arranged into a hollow sphere, like a. Their unusual structure makes them ideal candidates for electrical and chemical applications on Earth, including , medicines, water purification and armor.

In the latest discovery, scientists using Spitzer detected tiny specks of matter, or particles, consisting of stacked buckyballs. They found the particles around a pair of stars called “XX Ophiuchi,” 6,500 light-years from Earth, and detected enough to fill the equivalent in volume to 10,000 Mount Everests…

(read more: PhysOrg)     (image: NASA/JPL-CalTech)

Buckyballs are by far the coolest arrangement of atoms that I’ve seen.

Reblogged 3 months ago from rhamphotheca
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Source: rhamphotheca
  1. dohokraii reblogged this from physicsandart and added:
    They are actually still called buckministerfullerene. “Buckyball” is an affectionate name for spherical fullerenes....
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  24. lumberjackninja reblogged this from rhamphotheca and added:
    coolest arrangement...atoms that I’ve seen.
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  28. dangerdumont reblogged this from rhamphotheca and added:
    You don’t understand how fucking excited I am