BPM 37093
BPM 37093 is an astronomical object 50 light-years from Earth in the constellation Centaurus for which enough evidence has been gathered to infer that it is most likely a degenerate star, consisting of crystalline carbon. Scientists estimated that the decayed star's core contained a 10 billion trillion trillion (1×1034) carat (2 trillion trillion tonne) diamond, approximately 4,000 km (2,500 miles) in diameter.
Researchers at Harvard University announced this discovery February 13, 2004. As a solid object, it exhibits "ringing" which was detected by the researchers. The object is thought to be an example of one of the stages of stellar evolution; in this case, as the stellar material of BPM 37093 is consumed by thermonuclear reactions (probably the triple-alpha process), the resultant "ash" is carbon at enormous pressure, or diamond.
As a common name the discoverers humorously entitled it Lucy after The Beatles' hit Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
