PSR B1919+21

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PSR B1919+21 is a pulsar with a period of 1.337 seconds and a pulse width of 0.04 second. It is notable for being the first radio pulsar ever discovered (in July 1967 by Jocelyn Bell Burnell). Its original designation was CP 1919.

Before the nature of the signal was determined, the researchers, Bell and her Ph.D supervisor Anthony Hewish, somewhat seriously considered the possibility of extraterrestrial life, "We did not really believe that we had picked up signals from another civilization, but obviously the idea had crossed our minds and we had no proof that it was an entirely natural radio emission. It is an interesting problem - if one thinks one may have detected life elsewhere in the universe how does one announce the results responsibly? Who does one tell first?". [1] The observation was given the half-humorous designation Little green men 1, until researchers Thomas Gold and Fred Hoyle correctly identified these signals as rapidly rotating neutron stars with strong magnetic fields.

Controversially, Hewish received the Nobel Prize in physics in 1974 for the discovery, and it was argued Burnell should also have received the prize.

The British post-punk band Joy Division used an image of CP 1919's radio pulses on the cover of their debut album, Unknown Pleasures. [2]

[edit] Publication

A. Hewish, S. J. Bell, J. D. H. Pilkington, P. F. Scott, and R. A. Collins. Observation of a rapidly pulsating radio source. (Nature 217:709-713, 1968).