Astronomy
Pulsars: Rapidly Spinning Neutron Stars as Cosmic Lighthouses
Quick fact
The fastest known pulsar, PSR J1748-2446ad, spins at 716 rotations per second—faster than the blades of a kitchen blender.
Why this is interesting
Imagine a city lighthouse whose beam flashes at you once every second—except it's a star more massive than the Sun, crushed into a sphere the size of a city, spinning hundreds of times per second. How can something so extreme pulse so reliably?