Where does this come from, and can I check it?

The material is compressed to the density of an atomic nucleus. The figure is taken from NASA Science, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.

Is this really a space fact?

Yes. It sits on the Space shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.

What else can I read about it?

The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.

Mondo Knows Facts

A teaspoon of neutron star matter weighs a billion tonnes

The material is compressed to the density of an atomic nucleus These remnants of supernovae pack more than the Sun's mass into a city sized sphere. Their densities mean protons and electrons combine into neutrons. Spin can reach hundreds of turns a second. It sits in Mondo's space collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.

Where this comes from

NASA Science

Facts that can change over time are reviewed and updated. If something here looks wrong, Mondo would rather know than be confidently incorrect.

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Science trivia

More facts like this

A single teaspoon of a neutron star weighs billions of tonnesSuper-dense collapsed stellar cores pack enormous mass into tiny spheres Saturn is the only solar system planet less dense than waterThe massive gas giant would float if placed in a vast oceanic basin White dwarfs are supported by quantum electron degeneracy pressureStellar remnant cores pack Earth-sized volumes with solar masses Objects entering a black hole undergo spaghettificationExtreme gravitational gradients stretch falling matter into long thin strings The Milky Way is pulled towards a vast gravitational featureA massive concentration of galaxy clusters draws home galaxy at high speed Lagrange points provide stable orbital parking spots in spaceGravitational forces balance orbital motion at five points around two bodies

Tags: neutron-stars, density, gravity

A teaspoon of neutron star matter weighs a billion tonnes: the short answers

Where does this come from, and can I check it?: The material is compressed to the density of an atomic nucleus. The figure is taken from NASA Science, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
Is this really a space fact?: Yes. It sits on the Space shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
What else can I read about it?: The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.