Black widow pulsar

The black widow pulsar (PSR B1957+20) is a binary millisecond pulsar in the constellation of Sagitta, 6,500 light years from Earth. It is binary with a brown dwarf which scientists have not named yet, these systems are very rare, especially with a millisecond pulsar. The pulsar spins every 1.6 milliseconds, that about 612 times every second. The pulsar's magnetic field is about 10^8 Gauss, about 200,000,000 times stronger then Earth's magnetic field.

Discovery

PSR B1957+20 was discovered in the year 1988 by Andrew S. Fruchter, S. R. Kulkarni and George Djorgovski, they used the Arecibo Observatory radio telescope in Puerto Rico.

Other black widow pulsar

Media said in 2025, that "a new black widow pulsar [has been discovered and given a name, or] designated PSR J1544–2555.[1]

  1. ↑ https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/people/3110661/thai-astronomers-discover-new-black-widow-pulsar?tbref=hp. Retrieved 2025-09-25
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