Jocelyn Bell Recognizes the First Pulsar Signal
On November 28, 1967, Jocelyn Bell recorded the regular radio pulses that became decisive evidence for the first recognized pulsar.
Published · Updated · 1 min read
The Event
On November 28, 1967, Jocelyn Bell recorded the regular radio pulses that became decisive evidence for the first recognized pulsar.
The Wider Story
She had been investigating unusual marks in radio-telescope records at Cambridge. Further checks helped distinguish the source from interference and led to an understanding of rapidly rotating neutron stars.
Putting the Event in Perspective
The discovery was a process rather than a single magical instant.
Reading the Historical Record
The team's paper appeared in 1968, and the early nickname for the signal should not be presented as evidence of an extraterrestrial message.
About the Historical Recreation
The accompanying visual is an illustrative reconstruction: a 1967 radio astronomy laboratory with long paper chart records and distant antenna arrays. It is not authentic archival footage, an eyewitness record or additional evidence for the event.
Sources
Found an error? Send a correction. Read our editorial standards.