Why do some stars pulse regularly like cosmic lighthouses?
Quick Answer
Pulsars are rotating neutron stars with beams of radiation coming from their magnetic poles. As the star spins, those beams sweep past Earth and appear as regular pulses.
The Full Story
Pulsars were first discovered in 1967 by Jocelyn Bell Burnell and Antony Hewish, who noticed an extraordinarily regular radio signal. The pulses come not from flashing light but from beams of radiation generated by the star’s strong magnetic field and rapid rotation. A pulsar can rotate in milliseconds or in seconds, depending on its age and history. Because the beams are so stable, pulsars are used in tests of gravity and in studies of extreme matter. They are among the most precise natural clocks known.
Key Facts
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