Super-Earth planet likely made of diamond

9:23 AM, Oct 12, 2012   |    comments
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UNDATED (Space.com) -- Astronomers say a planet found 40 light years away is likely made of diamonds, says a report from Space.com.

This so-called "Super-Earth" is called 55 Cancri e and was discovered in 2004 around a nearby star in our Milky Way galaxy.

The Space.com report says the planet is made up of mostly carbon in the form of diamond and graphite, but at least a third of the planet's mass is pure diamond.