The following poem was first published October 21, 2024 in Poets for Science. It’s about planet e, which orbits the star 55 Cancri, located in the constellation of Cancer. The planet is very close to its star, making it extremely hot. It’s also dense and full of carbon, meaning it might be a diamond planet. NASA has a lot of information about 55 Cancri e through their fictional Exoplanet Travel Bureau. They provide a guided tour and visualization of the surface.

The largest diamonds ever found,

deep within Earth’s ancient ground:

Cullinan, Millennium, Jubilee,

none can equal Cancri e

A diameter of twice the girth

and mass eight times the mass of Earth,

a gemstone radiant, sublime and

rare—the planet is one giant diamond

An orbit of just 18 hours,

around a sun that scorches, scours

hot enough for melting iron,

turning carbon into diamonds

Standing on that glassy gem,

the angels’ holy diadem,

every direction, stunning views

of diamonds of prismatic hues

Men, for gemstones, constant striving

cut in shapes bizarre, contriving

On her neck, no woman could wear

a diamond that’s beyond compare

No business man could sell this thing,

nor put it on a wedding ring

This jewel is not for us to own,

but the universe’s out on loan

Clouds of silicates are forming,

sparkling in the endless morning

Tidal-locked, its face aglow

molten diamonds down below

Cancri A, the blazing sun,

whose work will never be outdone

Twinkle, twinkle, little star

I gaze in wonder from afar

Nestled in the crab of Cancer

Cancri A, the stunning dancer

Visible to the naked eye

holding diamonds in the sky