Buckminsterfullerene is a type of fullerene with the formula C₆₀. It has a cage-like fused-ring structure (truncated icosahedron) made of twenty hexagons and twelve pentagons and resembles a football. Each of its 60 carbon atoms is bonded to its three neighbours. Buckminsterfullerene is a black solid that dissolves in hydrocarbon solvents to produce a purple solution. The substance was discovered in 1985 and has received intense study, although few real-world applications have been found. Molecules of buckminsterfullerene (or of fullerenes in general) are commonly nicknamed buckyballs. Buckminsterfullerene is the most common naturally occurring fullerene. Small quantities of it can be found in soot. It also exists in space. Neutral C₆₀ has been observed in planetary nebulae and several types of stars. The ionised form, C+₆₀, has been identified in the interstellar medium, where it is the cause of several absorption features known as diffuse interstellar bands in the near infrared. We celebrate this remarkable molecule with an image of a model of it in a lab…