Neutron Stars: The Universe’s Densest Objects

  1. Neutron stars are the collapsed cores of massive stars left behind after supernova explosions.
  2. They pack more mass than the Sun into a sphere only about 20 kilometers wide.
  3. A sugar-cube–sized piece of neutron star material would weigh about a billion tons on Earth.
  4. Their gravity is so strong it warps nearby space and time.
  5. Neutron stars are made almost entirely of neutrons packed tightly together.
  6. Some spin hundreds of times per second, emitting beams of radiation as pulsars.
  7. Magnetars are neutron stars with magnetic fields trillions of times stronger than Earth’s.
  8. Colliding neutron stars create both gravitational waves and heavy elements like gold.
  9. Their extreme physics makes them natural laboratories for testing fundamental science.
  10. Despite their tiny size, neutron stars shine as some of the most fascinating objects in the cosmos.