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The universe is so unbelievably large that we will never run out of unique planets to discover. One of the most recent ones that NASA has found that is more unique than everything else is a planet that might entirely be made of diamonds, and it is 5 times larger than Earth. If the existence of this planet is fully proven, then it will change our own theories of how planets form and what materials are needed that compose them.
A Sparkling Discovery: 55 Cancri e
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has identified 55 Cancri e, an exoplanet that they suspect might be made entirely of diamonds. It is a super-earth, which means it is larger than Earth, about 5 times, but smaller than our gas giants like Neptune and Uranus.
Cancri e is located outside of our solar system, about 41 light years away. It has almost twice the width of Earth, and about nine times its mass, as expected because it is larger, and might be made of diamonds. Let’s find out why in the next section, why NASA thinks it might be made of those materials, and how this planet has formed.
Read more: NASA
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Extreme Conditions on a Lava World
If you are thinking of or imagining going to Cancri e someday for the purpose of collecting diamonds, may we remind you how diamonds are formed on our planet?
Diamonds on Earth are formed from deep within our crust or mantle, under immense heat and pressure to the point that they transform carbon atoms into a crystalline structure, and even then, we have to hone them even more to make them look as shiny and valuable to today’s market. Then volcanoes erupt these diamonds from under the surface to where we could mine them.
Cancri e is no different; in fact, it is most likely hotter on that planet with more pressure, which is why it might be made of diamonds. It orbits its star every 17 hours, and is predicted to be about 2,400°C. These extreme conditions mean that the surface is probably made of molten lava, but the insides deep within might be crystallized carbon or diamonds.
Implications for Planetary Science
The discovery of 55 Cancri e offers us insights into just how different exoplanets could be from our own sets of planet in solar system. The potential it has for being made up of diamonds suggests that planets can be formed despite extreme and harsh conditions, one that is capable of crystallizing atoms.
Studying this Cancri e tells us that there might be many different types of planets outside our current ability to find them. There could be planets entirely made of water, or other materials you would not think could be the base to form a new world. There is so much more to learn, and as our technology evolves, we will surely find out more planets as unique as this one.
Read more: Space.com
Author's Final Thoughts
The identification of 55 Cancri e underscores how much diversity there is in our universe. This planet is only 41 light-years away from Earth. Just think about what other planets we could find thousands of light-years away from us. The possibilities are endless, and as soon as we find a way to explore more of our universe, we will reach out to see and explore each and every single one of them as a species.
Read more: Scientists Say Humans Have the Unique Ability to Mentally Time Travel
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