Astronomy
Pulsars as Cosmic Lighthouses
Quick fact
The fastest known pulsar, PSR J1748–2446ad, spins about 716 times per second—faster than a kitchen blender—yet its pulses have been stable enough to rival atomic clocks.
Why this is interesting
Imagine a cosmic lighthouse with a beam that flashes once every second, but whose light is invisible to the naked eye. How do astronomers detect these celestial beacons, and what makes their flashes so incredibly regular?