Astronomers have discovered something 2,000 light years from Earth that has left them completely confused and wondering if it’s an entirely new type of space object. The planet, called PSR J2322-2650b, is shaped like a lemon with a pointy tip just like the fruit you’d find in your kitchen. Scientists believe the intense gravity from a nearby pulsar has stretched the round planet into this strange oval shape, literally pulling material away from one side. The bizarre discoveries don’t stop there because this Jupiter sized world has an atmosphere made almost entirely of helium and carbon, with soot clouds floating through the air.
Deep inside the planet, scientists think those carbon clouds might turn into actual diamonds when they get squeezed by pressure. The temperatures on this world reach a scorching 3,700 degrees Fahrenheit, hot enough to melt metal. What really puzzles researchers is how pure carbon can float freely in the atmosphere, because according to everything science knows, that shouldn’t be possible at these temperatures. After studying over 6,000 known planets beyond our solar system, astronomers say this lemon shaped world with diamond rain is completely unique and might force them to rewrite their understanding of how planets work.
