Nuclear Pasta (IMAGE) McGill University Caption Deep in the crusts of neutron stars, where matter is a trillion times denser than anything on earth, nuclear matter undergoes a phase transition. At depths of approximately one kilometer, directly above the neutron star core, nuclei start to touch. They rearrange and form exotic shapes, such as planar "lasagna" and cylindrical "spaghetti," which have been whimsically named "nuclear pasta." Credit Matthew Caplan Usage Restrictions One use only License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.