BPM 37093 (diamond star map), 2010

20" x 20" framed archival inkjet print

The discovery of BPM 37093, a white dwarf star in the Centaurus constellation that is only visible in the southern hemisphere using the Whole Earth Telescope (WET). The finding allowed researchers to conclude that the carbon within the center of the star had crystallized, forming a cubic lattice of diamond from the intense heat and pressure of the dying star. According to the pulsations that were recorded, it would measure to be a 10 billion trillion trillion carat diamond. In our own solar system, this event foreshadows a similar fate for the sun in 7 billion years after it has become a red giant.

© Daniel R Small