News Astronomy What a blast! By Ron Cowen November 8, 2004 at 6:58 pm - More than 2 years ago Share this:Share Share via email (Opens in new window) Email Share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook Share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit Share on X (Opens in new window) X Print (Opens in new window) Print Take a dense, collapsed star, set a helium-rich star in orbit around it, and you’ve got the ingredients for a series of explosions, each lasting about 10 seconds and releasing as much energy as the sun does in an entire year. Such eruptions can happen several times a day on the surface of a neutron star—the superdense cinder left behind when a massive star jettisons its outer layers and collapses.