Water ice is water ice, you might say. Okay, you have rockets, pear ice creams and so on. But if you freeze nothing but pure water—that is, molecules made up of one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms—you simply get ice—right?

Researchers have discovered a new form of ice, which could have implications for our understanding of distant, water-rich planets. The findings of the study were published in the journal ‘Physical Review B’. Solid water, or ice, is like many other materials in that it can form different solid materials based on variable temperatures and pressure conditions, like carbon forming diamond or graphite. However, water is exceptional in this aspect as there are at least 20 solid forms of ice known to us. A team of scientists working in UNLV’s Nevada Extreme Conditions Lab pioneered a new method for measuring the properties of water under high pressure. The water sample was first squeezed between the tips of two opposite-facing diamonds — freezing into several jumbled ice crystals. The ice was then subjected to a laser-heating technique that temporarily melted it before it quickly reformed into a powder-like collection of tiny crystals.

Student says new form of ice could potentially be from outer space.

On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Astronauts, get your warm drinks ready. Scientists say they've discovered a new form of ice that could exist on a distant planet.

Wait, wasn't this the plot to that one Kurt Vonnegut novel?

Researchers say they've cooked up the elusive form of ice using crushing pressure and lasers.

Thought when it came to ice, there's just ice? Think again: Researchers at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas discovered a new form of ice, they announced last week.

UNLV researchers have discovered a new form of ice, redefining the properties of high-pressure water.