The millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038 is known to switch between two brightness modes almost constantly, something that until now has been an enigma. This artist’s impression shows the millisecond pulsar PSR J1023+0038 stealing gas from its companion star. Image credit: ESO / M. Kornmesser. PSR J1023+0038 is a 1.69 ms radio pulsar located about 4,500 light-years away in the constellation of Sextans. Discovered in 2007, it orbits a low-mass (0.2...
