WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A NEUTRON STAR, A WHITE DWARF AND A BROWN DWARF?
Steve Redd
A neutron star is the remnant of a supermassive star in which the nuclear reactions inside it could no longer counter the effects of its own gravity, causing it to collapse in on itself. A white dwarf is a remnant of less massive stars. They doesn’t collapse in on themselves, but rather ‘shed’ off their outer layers after depleting their nuclear fuel. These layers are visible in the form of a planetary nebula surrounding the star. Brown dwarfs are, in essence, failed stars that never reached high enough temperatures and pressures to start nuclear fusion in their cores.