Faster than a Helicopter Rotor: What is Vela Pulsar?

All Images: NASA/Chandra Observatory

The Discovery

More than a decade back, a movie by NASA’s Chandra X-ray Observatory showed a fast-moving jet of particles produced by a rapidly rotating neutron star and may provide new insight into the nature of some of the densest matter in the universe. The star here was Vela Pulsar, which was formed when a massive star collapsed.

Vela Pulsar is 1,000 Light-Years Away from Earth

Vela Pulsar is about 1,000 light-years from Earth and spans about 12 miles in diameter. It was discovered way back in 1968. 

Way Faster than a Helicopter Rotor

Vela Pulsar completes more than 11 rotations per second, faster than a helicopter rotor whose blades (on average) complete a full rotation 5 to 10 times every second.

A Jet of Charged Particles

As the pulsar whips around, it spews out a jet of charged particles that race out along the pulsar’s rotation axis at about 70% of the speed of light.