neutron star
Plural
neutron stars
1
a highly dense and compact stellar remnant that remains after a massive star undergoes a supernova explosion, consisting almost entirely of neutrons
- Neutron stars are formed from the collapsed cores of massive stars after a supernova event.
- The extreme density of a neutron star is such that a sugar-cube-sized amount of neutron-star material would weigh millions of tons on Earth.
- Neutron stars can have incredibly strong magnetic fields, trillions of times more powerful than Earth's magnetic field.
- The surface gravity on a neutron star is incredibly intense, making it a unique and extreme environment in the universe.
- Neutron stars are so dense that they approach the limit allowed by our current understanding of the laws of physics.