| What is a Pulsar? Pulsarwatches are inspired by the stars, or to be more precise a particular stage in a star's lifespan. A Pulsar is actually the core of a collapsed star, like our Sun. When a star burns up all its hydrogen energy source, it collapses with a violent explosion, scattering the outer portion of the star into space. The core that is left after the blast is much smaller and incredibly dense. While a normal star rotates approximately once a day, a pulsar can rotate as quickly as 1,000 times a second. With each rotation, a pulsar sends out an extremely regular pulse of radio waves. These waves can be detected here on Earth by radio telescopes. These pulses provide an unmatched standard of timekeeping accuracy. So far, astronomers have discovered over 600 pulsars, some of which are accurate to one second in 10 million years. That would make them more accurate than anything found on Earth, including our atomic clocks. One pulsar you might be familiar with is the Crab pulsar at the centre of the Crab Nebula. Even though the original star is over 5,000 light years away, the explosion was seen here on Earth, even visible in the middle of the day. This particular pulsar spins 30 times per second, illuminating the entire nebula. So why are pulsars important to us? It's not just because they are pretty. They've helped scientists understand general laws of physics, and have offered dramatic support for Einstein's theory of relativity. As if we didn't already know the guy was smart, he was also way ahead of his time. Pulsars have also served as incredible navigation tools for astronomers. And of course, they will help in the perfection of timekeeping here on Earth. If you want to know more, why not visit some of these sites: NASA European Space Agency Hubble Deep Space Telescope The Sky at Night - UK Television Programme devoted to astronomy Where time is concerned, Pulsars are the benchmark for all humans. As astronomers unveil more of their secrets; who knows what advances will present themselves to us. |