ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Blitzar

Blitzar is a very special and powerful type of star that can really make things go "BOOM!" A blitzar is formed when a regular star, which is a big ball of hot gas that shines really bright, becomes too heavy and collapses in on itself. This collapse creates a lot of energy, like when you squish a balloon and all the air rushes out really fast.

The energy from the collapse is so strong that it creates a massive explosion, called a supernova, that sends out a big shockwave across space. The shockwave is like a big wave at the beach, except much, much bigger! This wave can be felt by things like planets and even other stars that are nearby.

After the explosion, what's left of the star can turn into a blitzar. A blitzar is like a super-fast spinning ball made of really dense material, such as neutrons. It spins so fast that it can make hundreds of rotations per second! This is kind of like when you spin around in circles really fast and feel a little dizzy.

Because blitzars are so powerful, they can create strong magnetic fields that shoot out energy beams in two different directions, like a flashlight. These energy beams shoot out into space and can be seen by special telescopes. Scientists are still studying blitzars to learn more about these incredible phenomena!