gravitational collapse
Mass crushing inward
Gravitational collapse is the process by which an astronomical body contracts inward under the force of its own gravity.
This occurs when the outward pressure supporting a structure—whether from thermal energy, radiation, or other forces—becomes insufficient to counteract gravitational attraction.
Stars form through the gravitational collapse of gas clouds, and at the end of their lives, massive stars may collapse catastrophically to form neutron stars or black holes.
The term also applies to the theoretical fate of the universe in certain cosmological models.
Exploding massive star
- neutron starUltradense stellar remnant
- white dwarfExhausted star's compact corpse
- red giantAged star with cooled, expanded envelope
- supergiantHuge luminous evolved star
iron core · fusion · nucleosynthesis · massive star · progenitor · fallback · implosion
Collapsed star's remnant
- event horizonBlack hole's edge
- spacetimeMerged dimensional framework
- Schwarzschild radiusBlack hole's critical boundary distance
- general relativityGravity as curved spacetime
Loud explosive noise
- inflationSustained price level increase
- cosmologyStudy of universal structure
- dark matterLightless cosmic mass
- primordialExisting from the start
Interstellar gas formation
- protostarPre-fusion celestial body
- accretionGrowth through external addition
- interstellarBetween celestial bodies
- fragmentationBreaking into smaller pieces
free-fall · gas · dust · filament · turbulence · star formation · cooling · opacity
supernova
Exploding massive star
- neutron starUltradense stellar remnant
- white dwarfExhausted star's compact corpse
- red giantAged star with cooled, expanded envelope
supergiant · iron core · fusion · nucleosynthesis · massive star · progenitor · fallback · implosion
black hole
Collapsed star's remnant
- event horizonBlack hole's edge
- spacetimeMerged dimensional framework
- Schwarzschild radiusBlack hole's critical boundary distance
big bang
Loud explosive noise
- inflationSustained price level increase
- cosmologyStudy of universal structure
- dark matterLightless cosmic mass
nebula
Interstellar gas formation
- protostarPre-fusion celestial body
- accretionGrowth through external addition
- interstellarBetween celestial bodies
fragmentation · free-fall · gas · dust · filament · turbulence · star formation · cooling · opacity · protoplanetary
gravitational collapseexpansion
Increase in scope
explosion · dispersal · Big Bang · supernova explosion · diffusion
gravitational collapsedisintegration
Process of breaking apart
fragmentation · decompression · unbinding · dissolution · evaporation
gravitational, gravity, gravitate, gravitation, gravitationally, gravitas, grave, collapse, collapsed