Research suggests a highly dense planet circling a neutron star about 4000 light years away largely consists of carbon that has crystallized into diamond. The planet—located in the constellation of Serpens—is likely the remnants of a star itself that orbits PSR J1719-1438, a pulsar measuring about 12 miles across, but with a mass 1.4 times that of our sun. A pulsar is a dead neutron star that spins hundreds of times a second, emitting radiation.
“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 project leader Matthew Bailes of Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne.
The research was reported in the journal, Science. The planet, which orbits its star every two hours and 10 minutes, has slightly more mass than Jupiter, but is 20 times as dense.
