How do pulsars produce such regular signals?
Quick Answer
Pulsars are rapidly rotating neutron stars whose magnetic poles sweep beams of radiation across space like a lighthouse. We see a pulse each time a beam points toward Earth.
The Full Story
A pulsar is a neutron star with an intense magnetic field and a rotation axis misaligned with its magnetic axis. As it spins, radiation from the magnetic poles sweeps through space in a precise rhythm. If Earth lies in the path of the beam, astronomers detect pulses that can be incredibly regular. The first pulsar was discovered in 1967 by Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Antony Hewish. Millisecond pulsars, which spin hundreds of times per second, are among the most stable natural clocks known.
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"The universe’s best lighthouse clock"
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