A mysterious diamond from outer space has been found on Earth’s surface, after years of scientists speculating on its existence. The diamond, which is called lonsdaleite, arrived on our planet from a meteorite. Scientists believe that the meteorite originated from a 4.5 billion year old dwarf planet. When the planet was hit by an asteroid, the pressure created lonsdaleite diamonds that eventually arrived to Earth via meteorite. Lonsdaleite is stronger than a traditional diamond and has a unique hexagonal structure. Studying the composition of lonsdaleite will help scientists manufacture machine parts for things like drills, blades, and mining tools that are stronger than ever.
Image via RMIT University