The State - News from July 25, 1985

Scientists have discovered a whirling neutron star, called a pulsar, which may be the most accurate clock yet known, it was reported. The scientists said that they found the star pulses “with surprising constancy.” They made their discovery by using a radio telescope and highly sensitive timing equipment, according to a recent article in the British science journal Nature. Authors of the article included Donald Backer, a University of California astronomer, and Michael Davis of the Arecibo Observatory of the National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center in Puerto Rico. They said the accuracy of the star’s “ticks” varies only a few millionths of a second over an entire year. They said they will utilize the accuracy to “more precisely” calculate the position of the Earth and as a clue to the origin of the universe.