Which of the following best describes what would happen if a 1.5-solar-mass neutron star, with a diameter of a few kilometers, were suddenly (for unexplained reasons) to appear in your home town?
A) The entire Earth would end up as a thin layer, about 1 cm thick, over the surface of the neutron star.
B) It would rapidly sink to the center of Earth.
C) The combined mass of Earth and the neutron star would cause the neutron star to collapse into a black hole.
D) It would crash into Earth, throwing vast amounts of dust into the atmosphere that, in turn, would cool the Earth; this is probably what caused the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The immense gravitational pull of a neutron star would cause the Earth to be drawn towards it, resulting in the Earth being compressed into a thin layer on the neutron star's surface.

Which of the Following Best Describes What Would Happen If