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Chandrasekhar Limit

The maximum mass of a stable white dwarf.

Formula

MCh≈1.44 M⊙M_{Ch} \approx 1.44\,M_\odot

Variables

M_\odotSolar mass

Example

A white dwarf heavier than ~1.44 suns collapses, triggering a supernova

Did You Know?

Chandrasekhar worked this out at just 19 during his boat voyage to England; it earned him a Nobel Prize decades later in 1983.

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