Optical pulsar

{{Short description|Astronomical object}}

{{Refimprove|date=August 2008}}

{{update|date=August 2023}}

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,{{cite journal |last1=Cocke |first1=W. J. |last2=Disney |first2=M. J. |last3=TaylorR |first3=D. J. |title=Discovery of Optical Signals from Pulsar NP 0532 |journal=Nature |date=February 1969 |volume=221 |issue=5180 |pages=525–527 |doi=10.1038/221525a0|bibcode=1969Natur.221..525C |s2cid=4296580 }}{{cite journal |last1=Nather |first1=R. E. |author-link=Ed Nather |last2=Warner |first2=B. |author-link2=Brian Warner (astronomer) |last3=MacFarlane|first3=M. |date=February 1969 |title=Optical Pulsations in the Crab Nebula Pulsar |journal=Nature |volume=221 |issue=5180 |pages=527–529 |bibcode=1969Natur.221..527N |doi=10.1038/221527a0 |s2cid=4295264}} 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.

{{Asof|2018|post=,}} there are 13 recognized optical pulsars:Shearer, A.; Golden, A. (2022). "Why study pulsars optically?". Proceedings of the 270. WE-Heraeus Seminar on Neutron Stars, Pulsars, and Supernova Remnants. MPE Report 278. {{bibcode|2002nsps.conf...44S}}, [https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0208579 arxiv]{{Cite journal |last1=Shearer |first1=Andrew |last2=Connor |first2=Eoin O’ |date=June 2018 |title=Optical pulsars and polarimetry |url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-international-astronomical-union/article/optical-pulsars-and-polarimetry/1B5AEC4B8F82A98F358D9892872C5E6F |journal=Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union |language=en |volume=13 |issue=S337 |pages=191–194 |doi=10.1017/S174392131700998X |bibcode=2018IAUS..337..191S |issn=1743-9213 |via=Astrophysics Data Service}}{{Cite journal |last1=Bell |first1=J. F. |last2=Bailes |first2=M. |last3=Bessell |first3=M. S. |date=August 1993 |title=Optical detection of the companion of the millisecond pulsar J0437-4715 |url=https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1993Natur.364..603B |journal=Nature |language=en |volume=364 |issue=6438 |pages=603–605 |doi=10.1038/364603a0 |bibcode=1993Natur.364..603B |issn=0028-0836}}