A neutron star is the collapsed core of a large star which had a mass of 10 to 29 solar masses before its collapse. Neutron star formation results from the supernova explosion of a massive star, combined with gravitational collapse. Neutron stars typically have a radius of around 10 kilometers and a mass of between 1.4 and 3 solar masses. If the core remnant has a mass greater than 3 solar masses, then it may go on to form a black hole. There are thought to be around 100 million neutron stars in the Milky Way.
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