Table of Contents
Will our Sun become a neutron star or a black hole?
No. Stars like the Sun just aren’t massive enough to become black holes. Instead, in several billion years, the Sun will cast off its outer layers, and its core will form a white dwarf – a dense ball of carbon and oxygen that no longer produces nuclear energy, but that shines because it is very hot.
Will the Sun become a nebula?
Ultimately, most scientists believe that the Sun will become a planetary nebula. As is progresses though the red giant stage, the outer envelope of the Sun will be blown off into space. After it expels its outer layers, the core of the Sun will contract, and it will become a white dwarf.
How hot is a neutron star compared to our Sun?
Neutron stars produce no new heat. However, they are incredibly hot when they form and cool slowly. The neutron stars we can observe average about 1.8 million degrees Fahrenheit, compared to about 9,900 degrees Fahrenheit for the Sun. Neutron stars have an important role in the universe.
Is the density of a neutron star the same as the Sun?
Neutron stars have overall densities of 3.7 × 1017 to 5.9 × 1017 kg/m3 (2.6 × 1014 to 4.1 × 1014 times the density of the Sun), which is comparable to the approximate density of an atomic nucleus of 3 × 1017 kg/m3.
How strong are neutron stars?
On average, gravity on a neutron star is 2 billion times stronger than gravity on Earth. In fact, it’s strong enough to significantly bend radiation from the star in a process known as gravitational lensing, allowing astronomers to see some of the back side of the star.
What is the most dense star?
A neutron star is the most intensely dense object in all the universe. Of course, the argument can be made that a black hole is the most dense, but considering that a black hole is technically beyond the event horizon, it is neutron stars that get the top spot for the being the ‘most dense’.