Researchers discover diamond planet

[Jeremy Proome]

Diamond planet discovered

A previously-thought Earth-like planet has been found to be made up primarily of diamond

[AcidRaZor]

I can't wait for the strikes to happen there. What will they be able to burn down?

[Jeremy Proome]

I can't wait for the strikes to happen there. What will they be able to burn down?

Haha, gonna need some serious heat!

[YingYang]

Hmmm, seems like a nice place for a braai

[ShaunSA]

So which Mrs Trump is going to demand this rock on her finger

[Razza]

wait till de beers gets its hands on it

[lexor]

This planet will be the cause of interplanetary warfare one day !

[Madman88]

Wow! they can tell its diamond by looking at it from 40 light years away, jewel thieves you're screwed now!

[nightjar]

The surface of the planet is estimated at around 2149 degrees Celsius so a few logistical problems need to be sorted out before anyone can collect a few carats. Tungsten is the only metal that will survive that temperature.

[Sinbad]

The surface of the planet is estimated at around 2149 degrees Celsius so a few logistical problems need to be sorted out before anyone can collect a few carats. Tungsten is the only metal that will survive that temperature.

Tell Julius and his cronies and union buddies they can go get all the diamonds they want as long as they go at night.

[ToxicBunny]

I'll chip in a few bob to develop their space craft..... for a "share in the profits of the venture" of course

[j4ck455]

Isn't there a scenario where some dying stars produce lots of carbon which gravity converts into a diamond core?

[rpm]

Isn't there a scenario where some dying stars produce lots of carbon which gravity converts into a diamond core?

You are correct.

"White dwarf stars will eventually form a core of crystallized carbon, much like terrestrial diamonds, with a little bit of oxygen impurity."
http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/as...s/110223a.html

[Rands]

Diamonds will then be as valuable as rocks.

[chrisc4290]

Larger than earth-sized planets are discovered nearly every week. When the new space telescope is launched in 2015, we will have the opportunity to look for earth-sized planets with a large water content revolving around stars. This is the most likely type of planet to harbour life similar to Earth. However, it will be many millions of light-years distant, so all we can go is look.