Lesson Five : Overview
PulsarsAstronomers first detected pulsars, or pulsating radio stars, in 1967, and eventually declared that these pulsating sources were actually rapidly rotating neutron stars. Neutron stars are small, extremely dense remnants of massive stars that burned up their fuel and exploded in a supernova. They emit beams of radiation from their magnetic poles that radio telescopes can detect and analyze. Over 1,300 pulsars have been discovered and we are continuing to learn more and more about these fascinating astronomical phenomena.
Standards
This lesson highlights some components of the National Science Education Content
- Standards G: History and Nature of Science
- Standards B: Physical Science
- 9-12
- Identify the evolution of the research leading to the discovery of and relationships between pulsars and neutron stars.
- List four basic properties of all neutron stars
- Explain how neutron stars pulse
- Give several reasons why radio astronomers study pulsars