[time-nuts] Pulsars make a GPS for the cosmos

[Hal Murray]

bob at evoria.net said:
> Just to satisfy my curiosity: what's easiest to detect galactic pulse
> emitter (regardless of type), and what's the minimum setup to reliably look
> at it, whether it's just during night time, or whatever.  Just seeking
> perspective, I haven't just won the lottery. 

An optical astronomy-nut friend says that you can see pulsars (or at least 
some of them) in the visible.  The setup is a spinning disk with holes in it. 
 Adjust the speed of rotation until it beats with the pulsar.

I think you need a small telescope for the bright pulsars.  Clearly within 
the budget and skills of a not-very-nut, but probably takes at least a 
somewhat-nut to think it is cool enough to do.

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Re nighttime...  One of the advantages of radio astronomy is that it works 
during the day and when it is cloudy, an interesting bargaining chip when 
fighting for funds.
 

-- 
These are my opinions.  I hate spam.