Uploaded July 2019 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
A pulsar is a rapidly rotating neutron star; its magnetic field interacts with matter around it to send out twin beams of energy. If these pass over the Earth we see a pulsing blip. If the pulsar has a companion, material falling in can speed the pulsar up substantially, causing it to rotate hundreds of times per second, and it becomes a millisecond pulsar.
Credit: NASA / SVS GSFC / Dana Berry
Original video: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10144
A pulsar is a rapidly rotating neutron star; its magnetic field interacts with matter around it to send out twin beams of energy. If these pass over the Earth we see a pulsing blip. If the pulsar has a companion, material falling in can speed the pulsar up substantially, causing it to rotate hundreds of times per second, and it becomes a millisecond pulsar.
Credit: NASA / SVS GSFC / Dana Berry
Original video: svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/10144
