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New Class of Pulsars Discovered

Posted by Soulskill on from the for-all-your-gamma-ray-needs dept.

xyz writes "NASA's Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope has discovered a new class of pulsars which emit purely in gamma rays. A pulsar is a rapidly spinning neutron star, and of the nearly 1,800 cataloged so far, only a small fraction emit at frequencies higher than radio waves. The gamma-ray-only pulsar, which lies within a supernova remnant known as CTA 1, is silent across parts of the electromagnetic spectrum where pulsars are normally found, indicating a new class of pulsars. It is located 'about 4,600 light-years away in the constellation Cepheus. Its lighthouse-like beam sweeps Earth's way every 316.86 milliseconds. The pulsar, which formed in a supernova explosion about 10,000 years ago, emits 1,000 times the energy of our sun.'"

2 of 93 comments (clear)

  1. Pure gamma rays only? by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    HULK SMASH!!!

    --
    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  2. Re:First Pulsar Post by dotancohen · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    Every 316 Milliseconds? Do you know what else has that timing?

    PEW-PEW-PEW, the sound of mah lazers!

    Sharks are silent predators.

    --
    It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.