In the 1940s, the first-time radio telescopes were turned towards the heavens. The radio signals were coming from all directions. Astronomers turned their ordinary telescopes to these radio signals to understand what was coming from them. They discovered many things, among them objects which could not be classified. The objects looked like tiny dots of light in the sky, just like the star we see with our naked eyes.
Looking through massive telescopes, they appeared blurry, which meant they were very far away. The Hubble telescope ranges these objects from 2.6 to 16 billion years away. This was how the quasar star was discovered.
So, What is a Quasar?
Quasar is electromagnetic energy that includes visible light and radio frequencies. This astronomical phenomenon happens when a black hole in the galaxy’s nucleus absorbs all surrounding matters. The rotation speed is enormous, resulting massive amount of energy getting released in the form of infrared, light, radio waves x-rays. The quasar appears as the bright object in the universe. In telescopes, they appear as simple dots of light.
What is a Pulsar?
When it spins fast, the neutron star retains its mass but shrinks in size. It is similar to a figure skater who then goes into a fast spin, the extended arms and legs close to the body, making the size shrink though the mass remains the same.
The neutron star spins at 1122 rotations per second which is very fast. It retains its liquid mantle and solid core, with its crust only about an inch thick. The solid core and liquid mantle give an intense magnetic field to it with its density and mass. Neutron stars emit high-energy beams, and when pointed towards the earth, they seem to pulse while rotating. Thus, it is named Pulsar, an acronym for the pulsating star. The pulsar neutron star fast rotation means they expand their equator. They imply that stars are of the size of 10 to 20 kilometers.
Difference between Quasar and Pulsar by definition
A quasar is an electromagnetic energy source that includes visible light and radio frequency. Pulsar astronomy considers pulsars, on the other hand, as neutron stars with an intense and strong magnetic field that emits electromagnetic radiation periodically.
Quasar vs. Pulsar – Difference in Features
- Quasars are not stars though they are similar. They are luminous objects visible at all wavelengths.
- Pulsars are neutron stars that emit radiation periodically. They consist of three layers- a solid core, a liquid mantle, and a thin solid crust.
- Quasar is formed from black holes when a large portion of the mass is converted to energy.
- Pulsars are the product of the transformation of a massive star.
- Quasars can release energy equivalent to millions of suns and are capable of illuminating a galaxy.
- A real pulsar star spins at a very high speed and emits electromagnetic radiation.
- Quasars do not rotate, while Pulsars rotate at high speed.
- Quasars are larger and brighter than Pulsars.
Conclusion
Despite the similar names between the Quasar and Pulsar, both are different celestial objects. The question of “what is a quasar?” should not be confused with “what is a pulsar”?
