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New research led by Yale University scientists suggests that a rocky planet twice Earth's size orbiting a nearby star is a diamond planet.
The surface of this planet is likely covered in graphite and diamond rather than water and granite
The planet -- called 55 Cancri e is one of five planets orbiting a sun-like star, 55 Cancri, that is located 40 light years from Earth yet visible to the naked eye in the constellation of Cancer
The study estimates that at least a third of the planet's mass -- the equivalent of about three Earth masses -- could be diamond.
The paper is titled "A Possible Carbon-rich Interior in Super-Earth 55 Cancri e."