Astronomy
The Physics of White Dwarf Cooling and Crystallization
Quick fact
The center of a white dwarf can crystallize into a solid lattice of carbon and oxygen, resembling a gigantic diamond in space.
Why this is interesting
Every star like our Sun will one day become a tiny, glowing cinder the size of Earth—but that cinder will crystallize into a giant diamond over billions of years. How does a star turn into a cosmic gem?