Neutron star

Collapsed core of a massive star

Neutron star

A neutron star is the gravitationally collapsed core of a massive supergiant star. It results from the supernova explosion of a massive star—combined with gravitational collapse—that compresses the core past white dwarf star density to that of atomic nuclei. Surpassed only by black holes, neutron stars are the second-smallest and second-densest known class of stellar objects.

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