Vela pulsar
Quick Summary
The Vela pulsar is a celestial object that emits pulsating electromagnetic radiation, primarily radio waves, but also visible light, X-rays, and gamma radiation. It is a rapidly spinning neutron star, an extremely dense remnant of a collapsed star, with a diameter of about 20 km (12 miles). The Vela pulsar is notable for being the brightest known source of gamma rays in the sky. Its rapid rotation causes beams of radiation to sweep past Earth, creating the observed pulses. The Vela pulsar is located within the southern constellation Vela.1234
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
pulsarPulsars in visible light, X-rays, and gamma rays…such as the Crab and Vela pulsars, are losing rotational energy so precipitously that they also emit radiation of shorter wavelength. The Crab Pulsar appears in optical photographs as a moderately bright (magnitude 16) star in the centre of the Crab Nebula. Soon after the detection of its radio pulses…
Read More…such as the Crab and Vela pulsars, are losing rotational energy so precipitously that they also emit radiation of shorter wavelength. The Crab Pulsar appears in optical photographs as a moderately bright (magnitude 16) star in the centre of the Crab Nebula. Soon after the detection of its radio pulses…
Read More
starNeutron starsThe Vela pulsar, for instance, has abruptly increased its spin rate several times. Such a period change or “glitch” can be explained if the pulsar altered its radius by about one centimetre; this sudden shrinkage of the crust is sometimes called a “starquake.” Pulsar phenomena apparently…
Read MoreThe Vela pulsar, for instance, has abruptly increased its spin rate several times. Such a period change or “glitch” can be explained if the pulsar altered its radius by about one centimetre; this sudden shrinkage of the crust is sometimes called a “starquake.” Pulsar phenomena apparently…
Read More