Pulsar Pulsar A pulsar (from "pulse" and "-ar" as in quasar) is a highly magnetized rotating neutron star that emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation. This radiation can be observed only when the beam of emission is pointing toward Earth (much like the way a lighthouse can be seen only when the light is pointed in the direction of an observer), and is responsible for the pulsed appearance of emission. Neutron stars are very dense, and have short, regular rotational periods. This produces a very precise interval between pulses that ranges from milliseconds to seconds for an individual pulsar. Pulsars are
Neutron star explanation does not fully explain magnetic field strengths of neutron stars. The gravitational field at a neutron star's surface is about times stronger than on Earth, at around . Such a strong gravitational field acts as a gravitational lens and bends the radiation emitted by the neutron star such that parts of the normally invisible rear surface become visible. If the radius of the neutron star is 3"GM"/"c" or less, then the photons may be trapped in an orbit, thus making the whole surface of that neutron star visible "from a single vantage point", along with destabilizing photon orbits at