Astronomers have identified an exoplanet named 55 Cancri e that is roughly twice the size of Earth and is believed to be composed largely of crystallized carbon, otherwise known as diamond.

A closer look

Astronomers have identified an exoplanet named 55 Cancri e that is roughly twice the size of Earth and is believed to be composed largely of crystallized carbon, otherwise known as diamond. This dazzling celestial body orbits its host star so closely that its surface temperature reaches a scorching four thousand degrees, creating the perfect pressure cooker to forge cosmic jewelry. Of course, human beings are inherently greedy, so people constantly calculate the theoretical monetary value of this planet, completely ignoring the fact that attempting to mine it would instantly vaporize you. It is the ultimate tease of the universe, a floating ball of unimaginable wealth sitting forty light-years away just to remind us of our own poverty. You could own a diamond the size of a continent, but you would be too busy melting into a puddle of superheated carbon to actually enjoy bragging about it to your friends