In astronomy, the term compact star (sometimes compact object) is used to refer collectively to white dwarfs, neutron stars, other exotic dense stars, and black holes. These objects are all small for their mass. The term compact star is often used when the exact nature of the star is not known, but evidence suggests that it is very massive and has a small radius, thus implying one of the above-mentioned possibilities. A compact star which is not a black hole may be called a degenerate star.
Read more about Compact Star: Compact Stars As The Endpoint of Stellar Evolution, Lifetime, Planets, White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars, Exotic Stars, Black Holes
Famous quotes containing the words compact and/or star:
“What compact mean you to have with us?
Will you be pricked in number of our friends,
Or shall we on, and not depend on you?”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)
“Never tell me that not one star of all
That slip from heaven at night and softly fall
Has been picked up with stones to build a wall.”
—Robert Frost (1874–1963)