Diamond planets may be more common than astronomers thought

Carbon-rich planets may be more common than previously thought, according to new research by Yale University astronomers, led by Yale doctoral candidate John Moriarty.

Some of these planets, all located far beyond Earth’s solar system, could contain vast deposits of graphite or diamonds, and their apparent abundance prompts new questions about the implications of carbon-intense environments for climate, plate tectonics, and other geological processes, as well as for life.