The densest known matter in the universe is found in neutron stars, which are the remnants of massive stars that have undergone supernova explosions and collapsed under their own gravity. In these stars, the pressure is so extreme that electrons and protons combine to form neutrons, resulting in an incredibly compact core. Neutron star matter has a density of approximately 10^17 kilograms per cubic meter—a teaspoon of this material would weigh around 6 billion tons on Earth.

This extreme density is counterbalanced by neutron degeneracy pressure, a quantum force that prevents the neutrons from collapsing further. However, if the mass of a neutron star exceeds the Tolman-Oppenheimer-Volkoff limit (around 2-3 times the mass of the Sun), this pressure can no longer resist gravitational collapse, leading the neutron star to become a black hole.

Neutron stars are at the edge of the limit before collapsing into a black hole, representing the densest stable state of matter known. If more mass is added, the star will collapse into a singularity where the laws of physics break down. These stars typically have a radius of about 10-12 kilometers, with gravitational fields so strong that even light is significantly bent near them. As neutron stars rotate rapidly, they often emit beams of radiation, detectable as pulsars from Earth.

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