Scrub a white dwarf's mass toward the Chandrasekhar ceiling near 1.44 solar masses, watch the teaching star shrink toward Earth-sized while density climbs, then trigger a past-limit collapse cue and read the published figures.
A white dwarf is supported by electron degeneracy pressure. The classical Chandrasekhar limit is about 1.44 solar masses (NASA Chandra notes often quote about 1.4). Near that ceiling a white dwarf is roughly Earth-sized (~0.01 solar radii) while holding about a Sun's worth of mass, giving densities on the order of ~1 tonne per cubic centimetre.
Drag to orbit and scroll or pinch to zoom. For broad stellar evolution see the Star Lifecycle 3D Explorer; for extreme-field neutron stars see the Magnetar 3D Explorer.
White Dwarf Chandrasekhar Limit 3D Explorer
This browser explorer shows how a white dwarf's teaching radius shrinks as mass climbs toward the Chandrasekhar ceiling, with published mass, size, and density figures in the facts panel.
The classical limit is about 1.44 solar masses (often ~1.4 in NASA Chandra notes). Near the limit the star is Earth-sized (~0.01 solar radii) with density on the order of ~1 tonne/cm^3. Below the limit, electron degeneracy pressure supports the star. Past the limit, collapse / Type Ia pathway cues apply.
- Scrub mass from about 0.30 toward ~1.55 solar masses
- Watch the teaching star shrink toward Earth-sized near the limit
- Read density climbing toward ~1 tonne/cm^3 order
- Trigger a past-limit collapse cue above ~1.44 Msun
- Compare with star-lifecycle and magnetar siblings
- Runs fully in the browser with the vendored three.js engine - no account, no upload
| Figure | Published value |
|---|---|
| Chandrasekhar limit | ~1.44 Msun (classical; often ~1.4) |
| Near-limit size | Earth-sized (~0.01 Rsun) |
| Density order | ~1 tonne/cm^3 (~10^6 g/cm^3) |
| Support below limit | Electron degeneracy pressure |
| Past the limit | Collapse / Type Ia pathway |
For broad stellar evolution, open the Star Lifecycle 3D Explorer.
Everything renders on your device with WebGL. The 3D engine loads once (about 0.7 MB) and is cached.
This is an educational approximation - the mass-radius curve is a teaching map onto published order-of-magnitude figures, not a stellar-structure integrator.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Chandrasekhar limit?
The maximum mass of a stable non-rotating white dwarf - about 1.44 solar masses classically (NASA Chandra notes often quote about 1.4). Above it, electron degeneracy pressure cannot hold the star up.
How dense is a white dwarf near the limit?
Near-limit white dwarfs are roughly Earth-sized while holding about a Sun's mass, giving densities on the order of ~1 tonne per cubic centimetre (~10^6 g/cm^3).
What supports a white dwarf below the limit?
Electron degeneracy pressure - a quantum effect - balances gravity until the mass ceiling is reached.
How is this different from the star-lifecycle page?
Star lifecycle covers broad stellar evolution stages. This page teaches the white-dwarf mass ceiling, mass-radius shrink, and density climb toward the limit.
Is the on-screen mass-radius curve exact?
No. It is a teaching map onto published order-of-magnitude size and density figures, not a stellar-structure integrator.
What happens past the limit?
The explorer fires a collapse cue. In nature, exceeding the limit leads to collapse and is linked to the Type Ia supernova pathway.