News Physics

Collision illuminates the mysterious makeup of neutron stars

Recently detected crash provides hints to size, innards of these stellar cores

neutron star collision

SMASH HIT  The recently detected violent collision of two neutron stars (illustrated) is helping scientists understand the strange stuff that makes up the incredibly dense objects.

Mark Garlick/University of Warwick

By Emily Conover

- More than 2 years ago

On astrophysicists’ charts of star stuff, there’s a substance that still merits the label “here be dragons.”