The Enigma is a very special object.

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In February 2022 a unique and very old black diamond came up for sale, namely the Enigma. It sold for over 3 million pounds.

The average size of a diamond that is used in jewellery is between 1.0 and 1.2 carats, but this black diamond named “The Enigma” is over 555 carats. A one-carat diamond weighs 0.2 grams.

Black diamonds, also known as carbonados, are extremely rare and are thought to have come from outer space, and transported here in asteroids or meteors. Carbonados' cosmic origin is based on their carbon isotopes and high hydrogen content.

They are mainly found in two places: Brazil and Central Africa.

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An object so strange.

Image credit. 95C Pixabay.

Ton 618 is the largest known supermassive black hole, it has a diameter of roughly 390 billion kilometres and contains 66 billion times the mass of the Sun.

These few lines should give you a better idea of how dense black holes really are. No other object in the known Universe has more density.

The Sun has a diameter of 1,392,680 kilometres, to reach the density of a black hole it would have to be compressed down to about 6 kilometres in diameter.

Our planet Earth is 12,742 kilometres wide, Hypothetically, all of its mass would need to be contained in a very dense sphere roughly the size of a grape before it became a black hole.

Yes, black holes are amazing objects.

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Why do we weigh a certain amount?

Image credit. kalhh Pixabay.

Weight is the result of the force of gravity acting upon an object, which can change if the force of gravity changes.

I weigh 80 kilograms on Earth, but if I took the next flight to the Moon and weighed myself there, I would be just over 13 kilograms, the reason being, is that the Moon’s gravity is much less than that of the Earth, therefore I am being pulled down towards the centre of the Moon with less force.

On Mars, my weight would be just over 30 kilograms and if it was possible to stand on the Sun (which I am not recommending) my weight would be over 2,165 kilograms. The Sun’s gravity is almost 28 times as strong as that of our planet.

If I was floating in outer space with no gravitational attraction from any objects, my weight would be zero.

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Our party balloons.

Image credit. Siora Photography Unsplash.

Most of us will have received a helium-filled balloon at some time in our lives.

You would think that hydrogen (symbol H) the lightest element, would be the first choice, but hydrogen is flammable when mixed with air and can explode.

Helium, the second lightest element (symbol He) is non-flammable, therefore it is safe to use in party balloons.

Use enough helium balloons and they will lift heavy weights. An average-sized helium balloon will lift 14 grams. I weigh around 80 kilograms / 176 pounds, therefore the number of balloons needed to lift me off the ground would be roughly 5,700.

Although helium is safe to use in a balloon, it should never be inhaled. The funny voice can be amusing, but it can lead to hypoxia, (the lack of oxygen)

End of article.

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We can only imagine what our early ancestors were thinking as they gazed up at the night sky, were they curious as to what the heavens had to hide?

Now it is very different as we have developed sophisticated telescopes and other specialised scientific instruments that are helping to reveal some of the secrets the Universe holds.

Simple life forms were living on our planet almost 4 billion years ago, since that time billions of animal species have existed, and millions of species are still alive today.

The evolutionary path for life has been long but at last, we have arrived. Our highly developed brain has given us intelligence and curiosity, now we can try and make sense of our existence.

You may enjoy reading some of my easy-to-understand articles regarding the Universe and Life.

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