Astronomers discover a planet made of diamond

[Fez Hammersticks]

Astronomers have spotted an exotic planet that seems to be made of diamond racing around a tiny star in our galactic backyard.

The new planet is far denser than any other known so far and consists largely of carbon. Because it is so dense, scientists calculate the carbon must be crystalline, so a large part of this strange world will effectively be diamond.

"The evolutionary history and amazing density of the planet all suggest it is comprised of carbon -- i.e. a massive diamond orbiting a neutron star every two hours in an orbit so tight it would fit inside our own Sun," said Matthew Bailes of Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne.

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[Denny Crane]

Why do they call it a planet if it's really a collapsed star?

 

[MARIS61]

Why do they call it a planet if it's really a collapsed star?

Because it's a planet.

plan·et
Noun/ˈplanit/1. A celestial body moving in an elliptical orbit around a star.

 

[BrianFromWA]

A) someone needs to check the internaTional astronomical union definition of planet, rather than webster's
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IAU_definition_of_planet

B) No truth to the rumor that K*be is already scoping it out, for the next time he gets caught.