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SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/aero-supernova-leftover-core

After a huge star explodes as a supernova, what can its leftover core become?

A neutron star or a black hole, depending on how heavy the core is.

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  1. A neutron star or a black hole ✔
  2. A planet or a moon
  3. A comet or an asteroid

Why: A very massive star ends with a giant explosion called a supernova. If the leftover core is under about 3 times the Sun's mass, it becomes a neutron star. Heavier cores collapse into black holes.

Huh, didn't know that: Gas and dust blasted out by a supernova can end up in new nebulae that make new stars.

The dad joke
Why don't black holes ever go to parties? They suck the fun out of the room.
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References

Answer: A neutron star or a black hole. A very massive star ends with a giant explosion called a supernova. If the leftover core is under about 3 times the Sun's mass, it becomes a neutron star. Heavier cores collapse into black holes.

  1. CAP Aerospace Dimensions Module 5, Space Environment (Alaska Wing copy) akwg.cap.gov/media/cms/Module_5__Space_Environment_C640727DEF762_83c5b.pdf
    The remaining core of a supernova will either be a neutron star or a black hole.
    Checked 2026-10-10.

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