PSR B1931+24
Pulsar in the constellation Vulpecula
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PSR B1931+24 is a pulsar located 4.64 kiloparsecs from the Earth in the Vulpecula constellation, with a rotational period of 0.8136 seconds and an estimated age of 1.59 million years.[2] It was discovered in 1985 with the National Radio Astronomy Observatory's Green Bank Telescope, but its intermittent properties were not discovered until 13 years later at Jodrell Bank Observatory.[3][4] It is the first intermittent radio pulsar ever discovered[5], regularly emitting pulses for 5-10 days, before stopping for 25-35 days.[4][6][7][8] Its rotation slows down at a 50% greater rate while emitting pulses.[8] In 2025, it was discovered that PSR B1931+24 did not completely cease emissions when not pulsing, but released weak emissions and occasional dwarf pulses.[7]
| Observation data Epoch J2000.0 Equinox ICRS | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Vulpecula |
| Right ascension | 19h 33m 37.83s[1] |
| Declination | +24° 36′ 39.6″[1] |
| Characteristics | |
| Spectral type | Pulsar |
| Astrometry | |
| Distance | 15,133.66 ly (4,640 pc) |
| Details | |
| Rotation | 0.81369030283 s[2] |
| Age | 1.59 Myr |
| Other designations | |
| PSR J1933+2421 | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | data |
It is one of two pulsars known to stop pulsing for more than a few minutes, with the other being PSR J1841−0500 which stopped pulsing for 580 days.[9]
