What Causes a ‘Black Hole’ and How Is It Different from a ‘Neutron Star’?

Imagine a super strong vacuum cleaner that can suck in everything, even light. That’s a black hole! A neutron star, on the other hand, is like a giant, ultra-dense ball made of neutrons, it's packed full but not quite as strong as a black hole.

A black hole forms when a very heavy star collapses. It becomes so dense that nothing can escape its pull, not even light. That’s why we call it ‘black’, no light comes out of it!

A neutron star is also formed from the collapse of a massive star, but it doesn’t go all the way to being a black hole. Instead, it becomes extremely dense and hot, like a super-smushed ball of neutrons.