What Are Neutron Stars? | Densest Directly Observable Objects in Space
KLT・41 minutes read
Neutron stars are incredibly dense cores formed from the collapse of massive stars, packed with 1-3 solar masses within a 12-mile sphere. Pulsars, highly magnetized rotating neutron stars, emit beams of radiation, theorized to form when massive stars collapse.
Insights
- Neutron stars, formed from the collapse of massive stars, are incredibly dense spheres holding 1-3 solar masses within a 12-mile radius, emitting regular pulses of radiation as pulsars, showcasing a unique and powerful cosmic phenomenon.
- Beetlejuice, a red supergiant star in the Orion constellation, is expected to explode into a supernova in a hundred thousand years, demonstrating the awe-inspiring life cycle of stars, from consuming hydrogen fuel to fusing helium and eventually collapsing and exploding in a spectacular event.
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Recent questions
What are neutron stars?
Neutron stars are ultra-dense cores of massive stars that collapse when they run out of fuel, leading to intense processes of fusion and energy release.
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Summary
00:00
"Neutron stars, pulsars, and massive stars"
- Neutron stars are ultra-dense cores of massive stars that collapse when they run out of fuel, leading to intense processes of fusion and energy release.
- When hydrogen fuses into helium in the core of a star, it releases energy that pushes against inward gravity, maintaining stability until hydrogen runs out.
- As hydrogen depletes, the star's core turns into iron, leading to an implosion that fuses electrons with protons and forms neutrons, creating a neutron star.
- Neutron stars, with gravity just shy of a black hole's, can hold 1-3 solar masses within a 12-mile sphere, making them incredibly dense.
- Pulsars, observed as flickering stars, are highly magnetized rotating neutron stars emitting beams of electromagnetic radiation, causing their pulsed appearance.
- Pulsars are theorized to be born when massive stars run out of fuel, collapsing and leaving behind neutron stars that emit regular pulses of radiation.
- Quasi-stars, hypothetical extremely massive luminous stars, could have existed early in the universe, potentially larger than red supergiants.
- HD 100546 is a B-type star with an exoplanet, HD 100546b, orbiting it at a distance of 53 AU, discovered in 2014 with a mass of 752 Jupiters.
- Stevenson 2-18, a red supergiant star, is the largest known star in the universe, with a radius 2150 times that of the Sun, discovered in 1990.
- VY Canis Majoris, a red hypergiant star, was once believed to be the largest star until surpassed by other hypergiants, located about 4,000 light years away.
20:13
"Exploring Stars, Moons, and Celestial Events"
- Stars in the Universe vary in size and type, including red giants, blue white supergiants, red supergiants, and red hypergiants.
- Notable stars include Pollux, Arcturus, R136a1, Betelgeuse, Canis Majoris, and Rigel, each with distinct characteristics.
- Rigel, a blue white supergiant in the Orion constellation, is bright and massive, with specific details on its luminosity, mass, and distance from Earth.
- Haley's Comet, a famous comet with a short period orbit, is composed of various elements and has a unique tail formation when passing close to the Sun.
- Alpha Centauri, a triple star system, consists of Alpha Centauri A, Alpha Centauri B, and Proxima Centauri, each with specific mass and luminosity details.
- A rare celestial event in 2020 involves Jupiter and Saturn aligning closely on December 21st, forming a visible double planet for the first time in 800 years.
- Stellar evolution from a nebula to a star involves various stages, including the formation of a protostar and eventual fusion to become a hydrogen-burning star.
- Moons in our solar system, such as Tethys, Dion, Ariel, and Umbriel, vary in size and orbit different planets like Saturn, Uranus, and Pluto.
- Larger moons like Titania, Triton, and Europa have significant radii and orbits around planets like Uranus, Neptune, and Jupiter.
- A total solar eclipse, caused by the Moon passing between the Sun and Earth, creates a striking visual phenomenon known as totality, inspiring viewers to witness this celestial event.
41:44
"Total Solar Eclipse Safety and Milky Way"
- A total solar eclipse consists of several stages, including partial eclipses, Bailey's Beads, the diamond ring, totality, and the final stages.
- Safety precautions for eye injuries during a total solar eclipse include using special solar eclipse glasses to protect your vision.
- The path of totality for the total solar eclipse on August 21st, 2017, can only be observed from Lincoln Beach, Oregon, to Charleston, South Carolina, covering 70 miles and 14 states in the continental U.S.
- The Milky Way galaxy is named after a Greek goddess named Hera, and astronomers estimate it to be over 13.6 billion years old, with a diameter of 100,000 light years.
- The Milky Way galaxy contains over 100 billion stars and possibly over 100 billion planets, with Earth's solar system located about 25,000 light years from the galactic center.
- The Milky Way galaxy has various components, including the penumbra, umbra, partial eclipse, and total eclipse, each representing different shaded areas of celestial bodies.
- The Milky Way galaxy is a flat disc with a bulge center and contains various arms like the 3K PC arms, Sagittarius arm, Orion spur, and Perseus arm.
- The Milky Way galaxy is home to a supermassive black hole at its center, surrounded by an accretion disc, event horizon, photon sphere, and relativistic jets.
- The Sun is a star composed of 92.1% hydrogen and 7.8% helium, with its core reaching 27 million degrees and providing energy for life on Earth.
- Supermassive black holes are found in the center of major galaxies and are formed from the collapse of massive gas clouds, with an accretion disc and event horizon defining their structure.
01:02:17
Beetlejuice: Orion's Bright Red Supergiant Star
- Named Beetlejuice in 1836 by Sir John Herschel, I am the second brightest star in the Orion constellation after Rigel, with a diameter about 700 times that of the sun and located 640 light years from Earth. My surface temperature is 6000 degrees Fahrenheit, cooler than the sun's 10,000 degrees. As a young star, I am expected to explode into a supernova in a hundred thousand years or so, being a red supergiant that has consumed its hydrogen fuel and is now fusing helium in its core, eventually collapsing and exploding, creating a spectacular sight.
