Chandrasekhar debated the last moments of a star’s life and proposed the birth of something new after its demise
White dwarfs are incredibly dense objects inhabiting space. To prevent the atoms that make up a white dwarf from being ripped apart by the force of gravity, something called electron degeneracy pressure holds the star together. However, as a white dwarf uses the last of its fuel it becomes increasingly dense.
Chandrasekhar’s work on star death paved the way for understanding the creation of black holes
© NASA/JPL-Caltech