Astronomers have recently discovered an extremely intermittent radio pulsar located in the constellation Lupus. This pulsar—nicknamed the “Lumpy” pulsar—has an unusually variable radio signal, with periods of inactivity that can last up to months.

The discovery of the “Lumpy” pulsar offers an unprecedented opportunity to learn more about the physics of pulsars in extreme environments, as well as the mechanisms behind the radio emission of these objects.

In a blog post, astronomers at the University of British Columbia describe their discovery of this unique pulsar. They explain that this pulsar is “extremely intermittent,” meaning its radio signal is regularly “switched off” for months at a time. During those periods of inactivity, the pulsar’s radio emission is completely undetectable, even with the most sensitive radio telescopes. The researchers believe this could be because of the pulsar’s environment—it is located in the middle of a region of space filled with dense clouds of gas and dust.

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source: Phys.org