Optical pulsar explained

An optical pulsar is a pulsar which can be detected in the visible spectrum. There are very few of these known: the Crab Pulsar was detected by stroboscopic techniques in 1969,^{[1] [2]} shortly after its discovery in radio waves, at the Steward Observatory. The Vela Pulsar was detected in 1977 at the Anglo-Australian Observatory, and was the faintest star ever imaged at that time.

Six known optical pulsars are listed by Shearer and Golden (2002):^[3]

Name of pulsar	Magnitude (B)
Crab Pulsar (CM Tauri, PSR B0531+21)	16.5
Vela Pulsar	24
PSR B0540-69 (in the Large Magellanic Cloud)	23
PSR B0656+14	26
PSR B0633+17 (Geminga)	25.5
PSR B1509-58 (*)	25.7
Source included but not discussed in paper by source paper.

External links

• "A Pulsar Discovery: First Optical Pulsar." Moments of Discovery, American Institute of Physics, 2007 (Includes audio and teachers guides).

Notes and References

1. COCKE . W. J. . DISNEY . M. J. . TAYLOR . D. J. . Discovery of Optical Signals from Pulsar NP 0532 . Nature . February 1969 . 221 . 5180 . 525–527 . 10.1038/221525a0. 1969Natur.221..525C . 4296580 .
2. NATHER . R. E. . Ed Nather . WARNER . B. . Brian Warner (astronomer) . MACFARLANE . M. . February 1969 . Optical Pulsations in the Crab Nebula Pulsar . Nature . 221 . 5180 . 527–529 . 1969Natur.221..527N . 10.1038/221527a0 . 4295264.
3. Proceedings of the 270. WE-Heraeus Seminar on Neutron Stars, Pulsars, and Supernova Remnants. MPE Report 278.; "Why study pulsars optically?"; Shearer, A. & Golden, A.; 2002;, arxiv