Nearby planet may be covered in diamonds, scientists say

The planet, known as 55 Cancri e, roughly twice the size of Earth, is located just 40 light years away and has a chemical composition heavy in the carbon that makes up diamonds, the astronomers said.
Up to a third of the planet could be made of diamond, which forms geologically from carbon subjected to extreme pressure. The planet also contains graphite, another form of carbon, as well as iron, silicon carbide and possibly some silicates, they estimated.
"This is our first glimpse of a rocky world with a fundamentally different chemistry from Earth," lead researcher Nikku Madhusudhan said." The surface of this planet is likely covered in graphite and diamond, rather than water and granite."
Treasure hunters may have to hold off on plans to explore 55 Cancrie. The planet is extremely hot, some 2,150 degrees Celsius, and orbits near its star at a dizzying speed of once every 18 hours.
The scientists made their observations about the planet's composition based on measurements of its mass that allowed them to infer its chemical composition and figure out what elements would create such conditions. They had earlier thought the planet might have water, but have since concluded it contains no water at all.
"This 'diamond-rich super-Earth' is likely just one example of the rich sets of discoveries that await us as we begin to explore planets around nearby stars," researcher David Spergel said.//DPA