Black holes and huge ruby and sapphires

[Garry H (Cut Nut)]

this is interesting http://economist.com/science/displaystory.cfm?story_id=9942036&CFID=28647142&CFTOKEN=23454378

Dr Markwick-Kemper and her colleagues report their findings in a forthcoming edition of Astrophysical Journal Letters. The dust around PG 2112+059 contains large quantities of rock-forming minerals, including crystalline forms of silica (essentially, small sand grains), a form of aluminium oxide called corundum (better known on Earth as the principal ingredient of rubies and sapphires) and a form of magnesium oxide called periclase (which is present in marble).

 

[empress]

With no scientific qualifications for my opinion, I''ve always thought of black holes as the process that recycles the mass and energy of the universe. Hence, the finding that in some systems, the star material is older than the constellations.

 

[elmo]

A lot of science fiction depicts space travel not for exploration and noble objectives but instead primarily an exploitation of resources. If diamonds, rubies, platinum, and gold are detected light years away, man will find a way to get there

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[marcy]

Thanks, Garry. Interesting discovery.