Neutron star structure. Artwork of the neutron star at the centre of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant. A neutron star forms when the core of a dying

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Neutron star structure. Artwork of the neutron star at the centre of the Cassiopeia A supernova remnant. A neutron star forms when the core of a dying star collapses into a super-dense state only a few kilometres across. The layers in the cutout region show the crust (orange), the higher density core (red) and the superfluid core (inner red ball). The blue rays are neutrinos that are created as the superfluid forms. This neutron star is 11,000 light years from Earth, in the constellation Cassiopeia, and formed around 330 years ago. This model was refined using observations made with the orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory and published in 2011.

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Size: 3000px × 3000px
Photo credit: © NASA/CXC/M.WEISS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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