Rain occurs due to condensation of vapor in the atmosphere into water droplets that fall to Earth. Rain has many functions for humans and other living things. Some of the most important functions are providing groundwater reserves, assisting agriculture, and supporting forest life.
You may have wondered, does rain also occur anywhere other than Earth? Yes, elsewhere in the universe it also experiences rain. However, not all rain that occurs in the universe consists of water because the chemical composition there is of course different from Earth.
So, what does rain look like elsewhere in the universe? Is it interesting or is it scary? To answer your curiosity, the following information has been collected from the page Treehugger and ZME Science.
1. Jupiter and Saturn: Diamonds
Rain on Jupiter and Saturn is sure to be liked by many women, because the rain there is made up of diamonds. Diamonds are formed when thunderstorms turn methane in the planet’s atmosphere into carbon, which then coagulates and forms graphite. As the pressure increases, the graphite is compressed, so the diamonds literally rain down on Jupiter and Saturn.
The diamond formed is estimated to have a diameter of about 1 cm. However, as diamonds reach lower depths, they melt and become liquid.
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2. COROT-7b: Rock
ilustrasi kerikil (pexels.com/Ir Solyanaya)–
COROT-7b is a planet known as a rock planet. This is because the atmosphere of COROT-7b is composed of the same materials as rock, namely sodium, potassium, iron, and silicon monoxide. And when it rains, the rain here consists of gravel.
The higher you go, the colder the atmosphere here and it becomes saturated with various types of rock. Likewise, the clouds here are in the form of rock clouds.
Also read: 7 Mysterious Objects in the Universe, Difficult to Understand
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3. Venus: Sulfuric acid
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Venus illustration (unsplash.com/NASA)–
Venus is a planet that has quite a lot in common with Earth. Venus and Earth are similar in size, mass, composition, and even proximity to the Sun. The big difference between the two is that Venus has an atmosphere made up of 96.5 percent carbon dioxide, while the remaining 3.5 percent is mostly nitrogen.
In the atmosphere of Venus are opaque clouds made of acidic layers of carbon dioxide and sulfate, which extend from about 50 to 70 km. Below the clouds, there is a layer of fog up to about 30 km and below it is clearly visible. Also, there are concentrations of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere thought to have come from volcanic eruptions. When it rains, droplets of sulfuric acid fall in the upper atmosphere and evaporate about 25 km above the surface.
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4. HD 189733b: Kaca
glass illustration (pexels.com/Adrien Olichon)–
HD 189733b is a planet outside the Solar System which is about 63 light years from the Solar System. This planet was discovered in 2005. This planet has characteristics similar to Jupiter, but has a higher surface temperature because it orbits very close to its star.
When astronomers made observations on HD 189733b, they discovered that the planet’s blue color did not come from the oceans or surface waters, but rather from a foggy atmosphere believed to be mixed with silicate particles, which are natural glass-making materials. Since the planet’s atmosphere is full of silicates, it is believed that it rains silicate particles or what can be thought of as glass, raining down on the planet.
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5. Titanium: Liquid methane
illustration of Saturn and Titan (solarsystem.nasa.gov)–
Titan is Saturn’s largest satellite. It is the only natural satellite known to have a dense atmosphere, and the only object other than Earth that has been shown to have a stable liquid surface.
Titan has liquid oceans, lakes, mountains, fog, and rain. Titan is an object other than Earth in the Solar System that has liquid rain, but rain on Titan is methane and not water.
The universe is indeed a big place and full of mysteries. Today, we are astonished to learn that some objects in the universe experience rain that is not made of water. However, who knows in the future we will find other facts that will also amaze us?
Also Read: 7 Water History Facts in the Universe, Starting with the Big Bang!
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